Wheeler-team joins Mongol Rally 2012


And you thought your road trip across the US was awesome.

These three paralyzed adventurers from the UK (Jan, Pete and Rich) are upping the ante when it comes to people in wheelchairs doing badass things behind the wheel.

They’ve created the driving team Wheelie Wanderers and will be in the pan-continential Mongol Rally this July, a 10,000 mile car race that begins in London, and travels through Germany, Poland, Greece, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, and ends in Ulan Bator, Mongolia.

The Mongol Rally is considered one of the world’s toughest driving races in the world, and includes mountain ranges with subzero temperatures and deserts that take days to cross. Why don’t we have races like this in the Americas? An epic rally race from Seattle to Colombia would be pretty sweet, right? For now, jealous drivers from overseas, like me, will have to admire their driving tenacity from the comfort of our own homes.

The Wheelie Wanderers are raising money online with the help of Virgin (their goal is 10,000/British pounds) for their chosen charity, Backup Trust, a great spinal cord injury foundation in the UK that helps people with spinal cord injuries keep their independence.

Each year between 250 and 300 teams enter the race and the drivers experience a variety of crazy things along the way, from discovering 10 ft. potholes to dodging bullets in Iran. This race definitely has documentary-worthy qualities (I’m really hoping they film their adventure as it progresses).

And the team will be driving a pretty sweet car (they share a car); a very pimp Rover Club Tourer Estate (it has BMW technology). They’re acturally looking for name ideas for their car now. Have an amazing talent for naming cars? Visit their Facebook page and give ’em your best shot.

This race looks amazing. It’s like being Indiana Jones, but doing all of your adventuring on four wheels (which if you ask me is perfect for someone in a chair).

Make sure to add the Wheelie Wanderers on Facebook (so you can keep tabs on them as they take off from Hyde park, London). The rally takes off July 14th. Good luck guys!

And remember to wear your Aviator shades for full effect as you motor through the Gobi desert. It’s a must.

– Watch a promo for the Mongol Rally 2012: Traveling is for sissies

– Visit the trio’s official site Rolling Back Home


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