GRAND TRAVELS
Rachael Davis takes a look at the adventure in store for this year’s Race Across the World travellers, who will be trekking from Japan to Indonesia
Race Across the World is an adventure like no other. The BBC travel programme, now on its fourth series, sees five teams of intrepid travellers take part in an epic race from one global location to another by foot, road, rail, bus or boat – no planes allowed – with a budget of just the cost of the equivalent air fare.
The racers have to be prepared to rough it on the road, including extreme budgeting, taking on odd jobs, sleeping on the move and asking strangers for handouts to get to the finish line the fastest, and without running out of money. They don’t have access to their smartphones, the internet, or bank cards, so they get to travel the world in a totally new way – and be in with a chance of winning a life-changing cash prize of £20,000.
When Race Across the World returns to BBC One for its fourth series, the teams will start their adventure in Japan. They set off from Sapporo, the capital city of northernmost island Hokkaido, and must make their way to Lombok in Indonesia via a number of checkpoints.
Ahead of the new series starting, let’s hear from this year’s travellers. There’s Owen and Alfie, both 20, best friends from Hertfordshire; brother and sister Betty, 25, and James, 21, from Yorkshire; mother and daughter Eugenie, 60, and Isabel, 25, from Barking and Birmingham; Kent-based mother and daughter Sharon, 52, and Brydie, 25; and retired couple Stephen, 61, and Viv, 65, from Rutland.
Eugenie and Isabel, you’re mother and daughter – why did you want to sign up for this together?
Isabel: The past few years, we’ve not really had that time to spend with one another, so it’s about embracing that.
Eugenie: Our conversations could be a bit deeper emotionally. Sometimes we’re at loggerheads – I say sometimes because it’s not all the time, but it’s about learning how to understand each other.
Isabel: I almost think we don’t know each other very well, so it’s an opportunity to actually get to know each other.
Eugenie: I think for us it’s more emotional, it’s more about emotions and feelings and understanding each other’s emotions and feelings and how to run with it. That’s what I think it is.
Alfie and Owen, you’re the youngest racers this series. What do you think your biggest challenges will be?
Alfie: Finances and staying sane would be probably fair. Obviously, finances is the tangible one and I just think as time goes on we’re going to get more and more dragged down, particularly if we’re low on sleep, low on food, low on money, it’s going to add up very quickly.
We’re both quite young so we’ve still got that drive in us, but we’ll see how that looks in week six with no sleep.
Owen: I can work in a high pressure situation as long as I don’t let it get to my head too much. If I let it get to me that’s when it would be a problem, but if I can keep the pressure out then I can deal with it.
Betty and James, as brother and sister, what do your family think of you doing this trip together?
James: Mum and dad, I know they will be excited for us, proud and nervous but it’s quite hard to grasp because they haven’t really said anything.
Betty: They said they think it will make us stronger. We’re not super close as brother and sister.
Brydie and Sharon, what kind of travellers are you? Do you like your creature comforts or are you happy to rough it?
Sharon: In fact, I’d probably be more at home roughing it than five stars!
Brydie: Yes, we can sleep anywhere, you can leave us on the floor with our backpacks on and we’ll sleep. We’re good like that. That’s a strategy right there! Also, we don’t belong somewhere like a five-star hotel. Sharon: I’d always feel a bit uncomfortable. Brydie: We’re quite close, some people would say we’re too close, but we don’t care if we have to even share a bed. We’d happily share a bed in the race.
Stephen and Viv, have you picked up any tips for your race from previous series?
Viv: We’ve watched the series three or four times over and yes, I think there’s lots of tips you can say. I think you both have to trust each other, you both have to listen. Different opinions will happen, I think you’ve got to give a reason behind your opinion and I think we just have to listen to each other and go along with what the consensus of opinion is.
Stephen: I think talking to other people is going to be, or always seems to be a strength in the other series, certainly. So, people can listen to strangers, listen to friends and that gives them ideas that perhaps we wouldn’t have thought of ourselves, that’s all.
Would you all say you’re adventurous?
Betty: Yes, what did I say on the way here? I said, “I’ll try anything once.”
James: I’ve tried ramen today for the first time! Also, I think on the plane was the first time I’ve ever had seaweed. I’m getting there. I’m open to trying most of the food at least.
Owen: I think we are, we put ourselves forward quite a lot. We don’t really shy away from opportunities, such as this one, and we don’t like wasting the time we spend in other countries, we try and see and do as much as we can whilst we’re there, maximising the time.
Brydie: We’re a very adventurous family. Sharon: I just think we’re up for it. And I think you’ve got to give anything and everything a go, even if you don’t like it, you just don’t do it again!
Stephen: Oh, I would say so. I think we’ll have a go at most things.
Viv: Yes, I think we’re a bit gung-ho and we don’t sort of sit back and think: “No, I don’t think we can do that”... but we certainly do like to know where our bed is and where we can have a bath, so yes, this is going to be out of our comfort zone!
Race Across The World returns to BBC One at 9pm on Wednesday, April 10.