RUSH-HOUR on the A19 holds no fears for company boss Rod Taylor after he drove nearly 9,000 miles to raise money for a life-saving charity.
Rod Taylor, managing director at Peterlee-based electronics company Seaward, travelled through 12 countries in a month, from the London starting point to reach the final destination in South Africa as a participant in the 2012 London to Cape Town World Cup Rally.
In what was his first rally, Taylor and co-driver Ian Morgan, surpassed all expectations by finishing 11th out of 48 competitors and in the process raised more than £10,000 for the Water Aid charity.
Describing the experience as the adventure of a lifetime, Taylor’s journey, however, was not all smooth going.
After setting off on their journey on New Year’s Day and overcoming mountainous roads in Italy and Greece and the dirt roads of Africa, the pair steered their Toyota HiLux 4x4 through some of the toughest driving conditions imaginable and even managed to carry on after rolling the car in Tanzania.
Saved by the vehicle’s roll cage and helped by their rally competitors, they got the car back on four wheels and managed the remaining journey reaching Cape Town. Taylor was supported by friends, family and colleagues at electronics manufacturer Seaward, as well as many of the company’s electrical industry partners.
He said: “We both feel immensely privileged to have been a part of the journey. We’ve faced dangerous mountain roads in Italy and Greece, the sands of Egypt and Saudi, car-breaking roads of northern Kenya and the roll in the Tanzanian bush. The one image that will stay with me is the faces of the many smiling children that have lined our path and waved us on our way.
“We have seen some of the poorest places and it is fantastic to think that the generous contributions made by our supporters may go some way to improving lives in those villages.”
Organised by the Endurance Rally Association, the rally started at the birthplace of British motorsport, Brooklands in Surrey, and took in France, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia and South Africa.
The money raised by Taylor and Ian will help WaterAid, an international non-governmental organisation, to transform lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the world’s poorest communities.
