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Mongolia or bust for charity pair
Two recently retired friends are putting their new found spare time to good use and heading off into the unknown wilds of outer Mongolia to raise cash for charity
Two recently retired friends are putting their new found spare time to good use and heading off into the unknown wilds of outer Mongolia to raise cash for charity.
John Spanswich, 58, from Wantage and former IBM colleague Steve Owens, 60, are following the example of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman as they prepare for a 10,000-mile trip through Europe to Asia this month.
The pair are setting off from Goodwood in Sussex on July 24 as part of the Mongol Rally 2010, a journey which they hope will take them through 14 countries including the Czech Republic, Moldova and Kazakhstan before they arrive in Mongolian capital Ulaan Baatar.
The daring duo have named their team Better than Wok! and in their trusty Suzuki Vitara they hope to raise a wedge of cash for children"s charity the Christina Nobel Foundation.
The Charity works with street children in Mongolia who have been left to fend for themselves, living beside underground heating pipes during the winter when temperatures drop to minus 50 degrees.
John and Steve are anticipating a host of challenge, including repairing their motor in difficult conditions, with many of the roads they will be travelling unsurfaced and unmapped.
John said: "Employment made it difficult to do something like this considering the uncertainty of what will happen on route or how long it will take to do the round trip."
"The co-ordination of the country has gone out the window, there is a lot of freedom but with no system in place, more children are becoming homeless in a country where temperatures can be colder than your freezer in winter," explained John.
Although both men have a background in computing, John prides himself over his "mechanical mind" and hopes the pair will be ready for anything the trip can throw at them.
So far, the two have raised £1,460 for the chosen charity, but are hoping to raise more.
To make a donation, visit www.justgiving.com/better-than-wok
John Spanswich, 58, from Wantage and former IBM colleague Steve Owens, 60, are following the example of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman as they prepare for a 10,000-mile trip through Europe to Asia this month.
The pair are setting off from Goodwood in Sussex on July 24 as part of the Mongol Rally 2010, a journey which they hope will take them through 14 countries including the Czech Republic, Moldova and Kazakhstan before they arrive in Mongolian capital Ulaan Baatar.
The daring duo have named their team Better than Wok! and in their trusty Suzuki Vitara they hope to raise a wedge of cash for children"s charity the Christina Nobel Foundation.
The Charity works with street children in Mongolia who have been left to fend for themselves, living beside underground heating pipes during the winter when temperatures drop to minus 50 degrees.
John and Steve are anticipating a host of challenge, including repairing their motor in difficult conditions, with many of the roads they will be travelling unsurfaced and unmapped.
John said: "Employment made it difficult to do something like this considering the uncertainty of what will happen on route or how long it will take to do the round trip."
"The co-ordination of the country has gone out the window, there is a lot of freedom but with no system in place, more children are becoming homeless in a country where temperatures can be colder than your freezer in winter," explained John.
Although both men have a background in computing, John prides himself over his "mechanical mind" and hopes the pair will be ready for anything the trip can throw at them.
So far, the two have raised £1,460 for the chosen charity, but are hoping to raise more.
To make a donation, visit www.justgiving.com/better-than-wok
