Volunteer Team Readies for Challenge Ahead

Not only are the 15 volunteers responsible for helping the 158 competitors at RacingThePlanet – Gobi March 2010, but it seems like their duties extend to keeping the drivers happy as well.

As the group of volunteers helped with final preparations ahead of Saturday’s competitor check-in, they learned about their responsibilities during the seven day, 250 km stage race. Among the tasks: branding the cars that will be used throughout the race. As one team of volunteers worked on a vehicle, one driver watched like a hawk and even got in on the action to make sure everything was perfectly aligned.

“Not like this,” he said in Putonghua, before rushing over to help. 

            But, just as it will for the next week, teamwork won out and driver and volunteers combined to form the perfect team. 

            While RacingThePlanet is a new experience for many of this race’s volunteers, many of them have come to the Gobi in part to support friends, partners and family. Briton Helen Whiteside is one first-time volunteer, who is also supporting her husband, Andy, now racing in his fourth RacingThePlanet event.

            “I think I wanted to come because this is his fourth one and he always comes back on such a high,” said Whiteside, who resides in Kuwait as her husband is in the British military. “He has this really joyous feeling whenever he gets back from a race and when he had the opportunity to compete at the Gobi March, he asked me to come along.”

            A similar discussion happened in the Hansen household, when Chris Hansen of Denmark told his family he was going to compete in his first RacingThePlanet event. He asked his daughter Monique, a 20-year old law student in Birmingham, if she’d like to join. 

            “He was talking about it and the whole family thought it was a cool idea and he asked if I wanted to take part as a volunteer,” Monique Hansen said. “I think we both are just ready to go. When we were on the plane coming here [to host city Urumqi], we looked at the views and they were incredible. The mountains were massive and there was even snow on them, so maybe that made him bit nervous, but I think we’re both just excited for the race to start.”

            While Lindsey Kennedy’s husband, D.J., is not competing, his experiences working on the medical team inspired Lindsey to sign up.

            “I hear a lot about my husband’s experiences at the races and he’s always telling me about how you see the most scenic areas and how the competitors you meet are the kinds of people who, if they lived in your city, you would want to hang out with,” the event management student said. “So I wanted to give a try and actually experience the race myself and not just hear about it.”

            Of course, not everyone in this dynamic group of volunteers has some personal connection to a competitor. For many of them, such as Liu Xuan of Beijing, the decision was a combination of the desire to see the Gobi and meet new people.

            “I want to meet new people from around the world,” Liu said. “And I really like the Gobi. Although this is my first RacingThePlanet event, I’ve been to the Gobi two times prior and I love it here. It’s like running away from the city life.”