peoplesport

RALLY UNPREPARED

There I was, sitting in the office, on my hundredth command-C, command-V when I receive an email from a friend. The strapline on the press release read “10,000 miles in a Skoda pickup from London to Mongolia.”
Dominic Yard, 25 and Thomas Donhou, 27 are raising money for Mercy Corps and The Christina Noble* Children’s Foundation by racing the 2009 Mongol Rally in a £350 Skoda—a vehicle which broke down during rush hour in Central London on the return journey from the car dealer in Devon.
The Mongol Rally travels through mountains, deserts and rivers through a plethora of countries, with satellite maps and GPS replaced with gaffer tape and a sense of adventure. When asked about the name ‘Radio Silence’, Dominic replied, “There was no huge symbolism behind our name. Even though it took us about two months to decide on one! I think the term comes from the army and means a period of no communication. Me and Donny say it when people don’t answer their phone or return your messages—usually girls! We thought it had a nice fit with being out in the middle of the desert away from phone signals, email and communication. But so far with our blog, video diary and Twitter account we are actually the complete opposite of radio silence.”

—Johann Chan, 10 June 2009