Pippa Middleton to strap on skis for charity

CTVNEWS

Pippa Middleton to strap on skis for charity

The Associated Press Published Tuesday, February 28, 2012 12:16PM EST

Pippa Middleton, sister of Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, watches Sweden's Robin Soderling playing France's Gilles Simon during their fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Monday, May 30, 2011. (AP / Christophe Ena)

Text:

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Pippa Middleton will be strapping on skis for charity.

The sister of Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, will trek 90 km in Sweden's traditional cross-country marathon Sunday.

Race spokesman Per Strid says Pippa and her brother James are doing the Vasaloppet (VAH-sah-low-pet) race to raise money for the child hunger charity Magic Breakfast.

The Vasaloppet was first held in 1922 and is one of the world's oldest cross-country races. It stretches from the village of Salen near the Norwegian border to the central town of Mora. Last year 16,000 people took part.

The race is based on Gustav Vasa's attempt to gather peasants for a revolt against occupying Danes in 1522. Vasa fled after getting no support, but the people of Mora changed their minds and sent their best skiers to bring him back.