PAUL Chew is no stranger to adventure having raced across the North Sea, sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and dived in the icy waters off Norway.
Not to mention taking part in the inaugural Rickshaw Rally where he completed a 4,000km trip in a 150cc tricycle from the southern tip of India to Darjeeling in the north in 13 days.
And last year he swam the English Channel but now the 50-year-old is preparing to face his biggest challenge.
He has been chosen to be one of the 25 riders taking part in the first Mongol Derby, a gruelling 1,000km horse race across the empty wilderness of Mongolia.
Billed as the toughest horse race in the world, competitors are warned that by taking part they risk breaking their limbs, suffering from internal injuries, becoming paralysed or even death.
But Paul says he cannot wait for the race to start.
He said: “The people who organise it emailed me and said would I be interested in doing this and I thought for about 60 seconds before saying yes.”
The resident of Southfield Road, Shortlands, added: “If it wasn’t hard and difficult it wouldn’t be worth doing.
“I’m looking forward to the different cultures and riding through the landscape and the adventure and who we are going to meet out there.”
But as the father of two explains he is a bit apprehensive about some of the animals he may meet: “[I wonder whether] the wolves are going to attack us but I’m more worried about the dogs.
“Mongolians are nomadic and because of the wilderness and the remoteness the dogs aren’t pets they are there to warn you and attack.
“The saying is ‘Get hold of your dog I’m a friend’.”
Changing horses every 40km and riding for about 80km a day, Paul is expecting to complete the race in about 10 days.
He has recently returned from training in South Africa where he spent seven weeks riding horses for up to nine hours a day.
Now he is training by riding his friend’s horse Yorkie in Pratts Bottom, swimming and sticking to a seafood diet to lose weight in time for the race which starts on August 22.
During the race he is only allowed to carry 10kg of kit which includes his food, a sleeping bag, iodine tablets and a mosquito net and a rain bag in case it rains.
A tent would be too heavy for him to carry but he says the hardship will be worth it because he will be raising money for the Mercy Corps charity.
He said: “The charity helps a lot of people in the parts of Asia where it really is Third World.
“This is the reason for me doing it.”
What is Mercy Corps?
- Mercy Corps is an international humanitarian and development charitable organisation that focuses on emergency relief services and economic development.
- It works amid disasters, conflicts and chronic poverty in troubled countries.
- The aim is to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression and has provided more than $1.5bn to people in 106 nations since 1979.
- As well as Mongolia it works in Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Niger, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China, East Timor, Indonesia, Mongolia, North Korea, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank/Gaza, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Click here to sponsor Paul.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here