Elaine set for Belfast to Ulan Bator rally
The 26-year-old has signed up to take part in the Mongol Rally 2013 along with the appropriately named Aoife Raleigh - an electronic engineer from West Meath who enjoys getting her hands dirty breaking and sometimes fixing machinery - and RoisÃn Mohan, a County Down youth and community worker with a heart for philanthropy at a local and global level!
The self-confessed ‘crazy ladies’ are looking for sponsors to allow them make the epic journey across Ireland, England, France, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Croatia, Bosnia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Russia, to their destination in Mongolia.
The Taillte Tank Girls as they are called - the only all girl team currently registered for the marathon event - will be donating all the money they raise from the event to Homeplus NI Ltd., a Belfast-based homeless charity, and Cool Earth, a global charity that protects rainforest communities.
Elaine now lives in Belfast where she works part-time at Rocket & Relish and creates sculptures and artwork for community events and festivals in her spare time.
Born and reared in Limavady she attended Termoncanice Primary School and Loretto College, Coleraine, before doing a foundation art course in the North West Regional College in Limavady.
Her sense of adventure developed after she went to university in England. She told the Sentinel: “I went to Sheffield Hallam University (studying Contemporary Fine Art) and after completing my degree I travelled for three years visiting South America, New Zealand, Australia and South East Asia.
“I have been home in Ireland now for just over a year and a half and work as a freelance artist-creating commissioned sculpture and art for festivals, community projects and workshops.”
She said she was really looking forward to what promises to be an incredible challenge ahead.
“I’m extremely excited and a little nervous about the up-coming adventure but what’s life without a challenge, eh?” she asks.
Travelling across Europe and Asia in a car (with an engine size of under 1 litre) or a motorbike/scooter in the 125cc to 50cc range is certainly going to be an adventure.
The company that organises the event, The League of Adventurists International Ltd., warns: “You may have guessed but this is a genuinely dangerous thing to do.”
It adds: “Your chances of being seriously injured or dying as a result of taking part are high. Individuals who have taken part in previous Adventurists’ adventures have been permanently disfigured, seriously disabled or lost their life.
“This is not a glorified holiday. It’s an unsupported adventure and so by its very nature extremely risky. You really are on your own and you really are putting both your health and life at risk. That’s the whole point.”
Elaine, Aoife and RoisÃn are now looking for local sponsors to advertise on their vehicle as they travel across the 18 countries above.
Local sponsorship, raffles and other fundraisers would also be welcomed. To find out more contact: taillte.tank.girls@gmail.com
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