How far? In that? Prasana’s 11,000-mile odyssey

An Old Elizabethan taking part in the 2014 Mongol Rally brought his vehicle into School to show the boys. Prasana Uthayakumar (2003-2010) is part of a team of four planning to drive 11,000 miles from London to Ulan Bator in Mongolia in a 13-year-old Skoda to raise money for charity.

“Prasana brought the car in to Red Square during lunchtime, partly to inspire the boys and partly to promote the team’s chosen charities – WaterAid and Cool Earth,” said Extra-Curricular Enrichment Tutor, Martin Bassett Jones. “The event provoked a great deal of interest amongst the boys, who were fired with enthusiasm by the nature of the challenge, which has been described as the greatest adventure in the world by its organisers.”

The Rally is run by The Adventurists, a group organising various arduous activities around the world, and is billed as a challenge rather than a race. No support teams are permitted and there is no recognition for those who finish first. The route traverses as many as 24 countries across rugged terrain. The rally has been running since 2004; each year a number of vehicles have failed to complete the journey.

But Prasana, who has just graduated with a MEng (Mechanical Engineering) Master’s degree from Southampton University, is confident of a successful outcome: “I’m the only engineer on the team. My team-mates are all Physics graduates, so I’m the one who's meant to know all about cars if, or should I say when, we break down! There’s a lot resting on my shoulders, but I’m confident that my engineering abilities coupled with the personal skills I learnt at QE will stand me in good stead.”

Boys were invited to ask questions about the challenge, the route, the charities and the Skoda Fabia Estate. They were able to have their picture taken with the car in return for a £2 donation to the chosen charities.