Blogspot

Express Rickshaw Challenge

Author: Greg Callaghan

Greg ‘Batman’ Callaghan Partner in Peter Brett Associates LLP and his sidekick Robin alias Kier set off in the 2008 Mumbai Express Rickshaw Challenge. This innovative adventure taking a motorised rickshaw across nearly 1900 km of southern India, which brings them in close contact with the schools and children with which the Adopt-A-Village charity is all about. They hope to raise funds for the villages that have made them most welcome during their 14 day challenge through sponsored presentations if they get back…!

So far the only news we have had is ‘…it’s really challenging…’ with some fuzzy images of a terminally damaged rickshaw in the middle of no-where – not sure if it was natural structural failure… We hope that they can make it to the next village to get a reinforced rickshaw to continue to their next checkpoint.

In Peak Condition

Author: Steve Dellow

There’s something about running down a mountain at full speed that makes the uphill climb well worth every painful step. Adrenaline makes way for sheer exhilaration.

Twelve PBA walkers, split into two teams, had the opportunity to experience such unadulterated joy not once, but six times when we competed in the WaterAid 6 Peaks Challenge. Setting out from Snaefell on the Isle of Man, we looked to conquer Snowdon, Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis and Slieve Donard in turn before finishing at the peak of Corran Tuathail in Southern Ireland.

Completing such an arduous physical and mental challenge, never mind winning it, doesn’t happen by chance. Scaling new heights against the clock – as we well know from our day-to-day project work – takes meticulous forward planning and a dash of ingenuity. We had a good idea what lay in store for us by researching similar adventures. There would be little time for eating or sleeping; we would need to multitask as we travelled on foot and by car. Necessary equipment would ensure our survival as we scale the peaks. A leisurely walk up and down the peaks would not do justice to our crucial fundraising efforts. At some point, we would need to break into a run.

To cross the finish line within the required 72 hours, we had to work together as a team to devise tactics and keep each other highly motivated. Through many weeks of training together, we practiced our skills and built up our levels of endurance. Spending time with your team also builds mutual trust and respect, and it is this which enabled us to keep going when the hunger pangs began and the aches and pains set in.

In the end, both PBA teams managed to complete the challenge on time, raising nearly £5,000 for charity. Our team had the great honour of taking first place.

When we returned to the office the next day, it was with a great deal more than a trophy and immense pride. When your very survival is at stake, not to mention the survival of those supported by the charity WaterAid, your planning, strategy and teambuilding skills become all the more sharp. It’s an experience I heartily recommend.