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FIVE GUYS, 14,500 km, 20 countries, one good cause and minibus named the ’46a’.
Those numbers don’t go anyway to explaining the journey taken by Jordan, Ben, Shane and Jack on an epic drive from Dublin to the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar.
But yesterday they made it, and today they’ll officially cross the finish line along with a number of other fundraisers who’ve made similar journeys.
On arriving, the five of them said they couldn’t believe that their “crazy idea” had just been completed.
“Thanks to everyone who has continued to follow and support us on this incredible adventure,” they said in a Facebook post as they shared a picture of their dusty but ultimately intact vehicle.
All of 41 days ago, the '46a' clean as a whistle. Facebook / 46atoMongolaiFacebook / 46atoMongolai / 46atoMongolai
Setting off on 9 July, the ’46a to Mongolia’ team kitted out their minibus in the familiar colours of a Dublin bus.
Their first main stop was Brussels where they joined up with some other teams before their epic transcontinental road trip took off in earnest.
Reception and WiFi permitting, the group recorded as much of their trip as they could on their Facebook and Twitter pages.
They documented endless border crossings complete with armed and bribe hungry border guards, late night camps and the cosy confines of their Honda.
Cosy or not, their car couldn’t quite cope with the mountains of Kyrgyzstan last week and spewed out white and then black smoke in one of the more worrying stretches of their trip.
Thankfully, even that apparent setback somehow gave the five of them the chance to pitch their tent in the garden of a local man who treated them to the local version of whiskey.
They describe being offered $10,000 for the crippled vehicle numerous times and, despite being tempted, turning it down.
They slept in tents but sometimes wherever the could lie down. In this case a petrol station. Facebook / 46atoMongoliaFacebook / 46atoMongolia / 46atoMongolia
A good decision, because yesterday they arrived in their final city after 41 days of travelling.
“We are in Ulaanbaatar now, but we have still not crossed the finish line,” the group posted. “We will do so tomorrow, with a couple of other teams, and make a proper celebration out of it.”
The group had been planning the trip for almost a year, all in to raise money for Make-A-Wish Ireland and Go Help. They say that they chose the charity because of its focus on parents and children but also because of a personal connection.
Jordan’s cousin was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome when she was one year old and the Make A wish foundation recently sent her and her family to Florida
You can donate towards their funding target of $10,000 on their JustGiving page.Source: Just Giving
The five now plan to fly home at the end of the month but not before spending a few days at their final destination.
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You can donate towards their funding target of $10,000 on their JustGiving page.Source: Just Giving
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