From Left (stage right) to right (stage left). Tim and James. Thoroughly spiffing chaps.
James, I write in red as my bike is red. I am 32 so should know better than to be riding 10,000 miles to Mongolia. I have been riding motorcycles for 9 years and get so frustrated with traffic if I'm in a car. I ride a Yamaha Fazer 600 and had a Honda before that (CB500). I learnt on a CG125 and rode this around even after getting a full license. They are very comfortable little bikes even for a a heavy rider.
I am presently working in the community looking after people with mental health problems. I qualified in 2005 as a mental health nurse. Being a MH nurse means I know little about about blood and gore. I can ask someone how it feels to have cut their finger off, I can't reattach it for them!
So we are reliant on not falling off, not breaking anything and not bleeding when I'm around.
My wonderful family think I should get my self checked out for doing this hairbrained adventure. But it is to support those who have Chiari. This is something my Niece has and has suffered with for a year. It is a condition of the brain where the brain is too big for the skull, this creates pressure around the cerebellum and prevents cerebral fluid from passing down the spinal cord properly. It is a very uncomfortable condition and Carolyn has not had a proper nights sleep for a while. She made the local paper with a head line of it feels as though there is an alien in my brain. Half the money we raise will go towards raising awareness of Chiari; it is hopeful that Carolyn is to have an operation soon to alleviate symptoms.
Tim, It seems appropriate then that I write in blue as my mule is blue. I am a 31 year old Maths teacher currently Living in Bournemouth. Unlike James and Dan I have not got my full motorcycle license yet! A key part of participating in this rally (even though we are going on 125cc bikes) is that you need a full license to ride abroad. So with my lack of experience it may seem odd that the to do the rally was initially my idea. I was craving a motorcycle adventure and heard about the Mongol Rally. Whilst visiting James in Bristol I broached the subject to find that he was interested in the concept. At this point it was only a silly idea that sounded quite cool. James was putting his sensible head on and was duly hesitant. Excellent, this is my favorite game, winding James up with comments such as 'wheres your sense of adventure' and 'won't your mother let you go'. As the evening progressed and the drinks kept flowing I kept coming back to the subject which was having its effect on James, much to my own amusement.
The next morning was late and slow. During breakfast James turned to me and, with sincerity, said that yes, we would be going to mongolia on Motorbikes. Great news you may think but this was the first time I had really contemplated actually going, well, no backing out now!
My main contribution to the team is that if we gat taken hostage by bandits I may be able to create a diversion to escape by bamboozling them with complex equations, Oh, and I was also in the scouts.
The other charity We are raising money for is the 'Christina Noble Children's Foundation'. These guys are dedicated to helping underprivileged children. They have programs in Vietnam and Mongolia which seek to protect children at risk of economic and sexual exploitation, The aid they provide includes ensuring these children have access to basic care and educational opportunities. This includes emergency and long-term medical care and nutritional rehabilitation. The foundation also strives to help these young people prepare for the future by providing educational and vocational training and also job placements. Being a teacher I genuinely feel that education is a long-term tool to alleviate poverty.
