Having absolutely no car maintenance experience has not daunted a group of intrepid women, who will undertake a completely unsupported rally across one-third of the world.
From July 22, Team Pulled Up In A Lemon consisting of Lucy Pringle (23), who grew up in Milton, Lucy Kitchin (24), of Oamaru, Dunedin’s Maddie Parker (25) and Claudia Clarkson, (24) from Hastings, will embark on the Mongol Rally, where they navigate their own route from Prague to the finish line in Ulan-Ude in Russia by September 16. That all may be eminently do-able in an air-conditioned 4WD, but rally organisers aren’t about making it easy. The rules state all entrants must drive a car with an engine 1.2-litre or smaller and costing under £1000.
Pulled Up In A Lemon utilised some family contacts in the United Kingdom to score themselves a 998cc Toyota Yaris for £650 to squeeze into and hopefully deliver them to their destination after the eight-week journey. The event’s website makes their position on any SOS calls crystal-clear.
‘‘Any ‘Help! We’re broken down in Tajikistan’-type phone calls will be met with a snort of derision and a click of the receiver,’’ it states.
Pringle said they have a cunning strategy to mitigate disaster.
‘‘We plan to travel with three other teams, so if we stick with them and take a tow-rope, hopefully we can get towed to the next town and find a mechanic,’’ she said.
Pulled Up In A Lemon is one of the few all-women teams and it wants to break down stereotypes about what women can do.
‘‘Our aim in doing the rally is to inspire confidence in more girls in NZ to get out there and do something that scares them or something they never thought they would be capable of doing, whatever the context,’’ Pringle said.
To participate they must raise a minimum of $2000 for the rally’s charity Cool Earth and a charity of their choice.
‘‘We chose a charity that supports women here in New Zealand, being Women’s Refuge.With a givealittle page, and a charity ball we hosted in Wellington, we have so far raised $4000 for the charities,’’ Pringle said.
Allied Press Marketing Consultant Chelsea Hamilton said Drivesouth readers can vicariously join Pulled Up In A Lemon on what is sure to be an epic journey.
‘‘Ever since Lucy and her team contacted us about their story, we knew it was an exciting opportunity for Drivesouth. After all, it’s not every day a group of local ladies take on the Mongol Rally and offer to document it for you!
‘‘Not only are we following this adventure of a lifetime with great interest, but we are helping them to support two wonderful charities, as Drivesouth will be making a $500 donation to the team’s fundraising account. We can’t wait to follow Lucy and the crew on this journey and we hope our readers will too,’’ Ms Hamilton said.
‘‘Drivesouth will be running regular updates in print and online about the team, along with including videos, photos and text directly from the girls and we encourage our readers to also please donate to their fundraiser.’’
The fundraising link is givealittle.co.nz/cause/pulledupinalemon
- by Catherine Pattison
Photo: Supplied
