If you’re looking for an eclectic group of University students mad enough to try to drive to MONGOLIA this summer (let alone in a 2003 Suzuki Wagon R built to drive your nan to the shops), you are in the right place. And if you weren’t, lucky you.

We are the Yakademics.

The Challenge:

The Mongol Rally happens every summer and is masterminded by The Adventurists, a team of eccentrics based in Bristol. ‘All’ you have to do is drive from Prague to Ulan-Ude, a town on the Mongolia-Russian border. As if driving over 10,000 miles was not silly enough, the Adventurists enforce (strictly) the least practical approach possible to the journey. This includes driving a hopelessly terrible car – old, small and under 1.2L – and offering absolutely no help to teams taking part. No support cars, no mechanics, no route, just three haphazard university students versus the world.

Timeline:

15th July – 20-something of August/ never?

The Team:

Georgina Marriott studying History of Art at St Andrews.

Lawrence Tan, studying Medicine at Cambridge.

Joe Froud, studying Medicine at Cardiff.

The Charities:

We have chosen 3 charities to raise money for this summer:

1. The Silas Pullen Fund – Silas, the younger brother of a pupil at Tonbridge School, tragically lost his fight with a brain tumour in 2013, 3 months before his 12th birthday. This outstanding charity is trying to change the fate of young people like him.

2. Hospice in the Weald – Lawrence and Joe spent time volunteering at the Hospice while at Tonbridge, and were deeply moved by the compassion and care offered, free of charge, to people with terminal illness there.

3. Cool Earth – this awesome charity empowers rainforest communities to halt deforestation and climate change. The more astute of you might have spotted how 10,000 miles worth of petrol emissions isn’t really in-keeping with this. But we have done the maths, and our carbon footprint will be vastly offset by the trees our donation will save.

NB Any money donated to our cause through JustGiving will be going straight to charity rather than being used to fund Joe’s Oreo addiction.

Of course, aside from being a laugh, this trip takes A LOT of planning and is really focused on raising as much money for our chosen charities as possible. So, if you’re reading this and laughing at our foolishness in taking on this challenge, stick a few pounds on our JustGiving page. Think of it as a wager that we won’t make it to the finish line, except that you’ll be exchanging your cash for some seriously worthwhile causes, and a big fat I TOLD YOU SO.