After watching Race2Recovery’s incredible effort in the build-up leading to the 2013 Dakar rally, I’ve found myself glued to the latest updates and the evening highlights programs featured on Eurosport since the rally started last Saturday.
Race2Recovery are a team of volunteers, racing to inspire those who are injured, disabled or facing adversity, by being the first team of predominantly injured servicemen to complete the hardest motor sport race in the world – the Dakar Rally in South America, January 2013. Those members of team that have been wounded in combat have a huge variety of injuries, some have injuries that are more apparent than others, but each person has had their life completely changed. Be it missing limbs, spinal and respiratory injuries, to psychological and fragmentation injuries, each has resolved to prove that their injury will not stop them completing the toughest race on the planet.
The Dakar Rally Raid typically covers over 9,000km in 15 days through Argentina and Chile. With typical speeds of between 70-120mph and up to 700km covered per day through some of the most arduous terrain on the planet the stress and strain on the driving team, vehicle and the mechanics is beyond comprehension. The wounded soldiers hope that the teamwork, sense of humour and experience of sleep deprivation built up during their time in the military will give them an edge over the other more experienced teams in this event.
Race2Recovery are doing this to raise money for a Help for Heroes project, the Tedworth House recovery centre in Wiltshire, where injured serviceman can receive every kind of support and is supported by the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, along with a number of high profile sponsors including Land Rover, Google, Bosch, Orange Plant and MIS Motorsport..
All the charitable money that is donated by the public or companies goes to support Tedworth, completely separate from the team’s racing activity which is paid for by personal contribution and corporate sponsorship alone.
Race2Recovery will achieve its goals in two ways:
1. Race2Recovery Foundation (Registered Charity – 1143805, Limited Company 7745238 ): this is a foundation where all public donations for charity will go. All these donations are sent straight to the Help for Heroes Tedworth House Project (http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/prc-tedworth-house.html). The money helps others to go beyond injury, and achieve the extraordinary
2. The Race2Recovery Racing Team Ltd (Limited Company – 7935495): this is a limited company, and a professional racing team like any other. Most of the racing team activity is sponsored and this is how the majority of the income required to race, train and achieve the team’s goals is generated. If you wish to donate to the team’s racing activities see the fundraising page for more details. All profits post racing will be gift aided to the Race2Recovery Foundation to go to the Tedworth House campaign.
Please support Race2Recovery’s incredible mission to help wounded servicemen and women go beyond injury and achieve the extraordinary. Donations can be made on Race2Recovery’s JustGiving page
On January 5th 2013 the team started the race in South America after 18 months of training and racing in the UK, Europe and North Africa. At the time of writing, on day 5 of the 15 day rally, 3 of the 4 Race2Recovery Wildcat vehicles entered into the rally are continuing into Stage 5 of the rally. Please refer to links below for the latest updates.
References:
http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/01/08/the-race2recovery-blog-this-event-is-epic/
Latest Updates:
Donate:
Race2Recovery’s JustGiving page
