Boss shows real drive
Rod (right) and Ian
A BUSINESSMAN has started the year in top gear after driving nearly 9,000 miles to raise money for a life-saving charity.
Rod Taylor, managing director at Peterlee-based electronics company Seaward, swapped work for travelling through 12 countries in one month.
He took part in the 2012 London to Cape Town World Cup Rally and even though it was his first ever try at the sport, he and co-driver Ian Morgan, surpassed all expectations by finishing 11th out of 48 competitors.
In the process, they raised more than £10,000 for the Water Aid charity.
Rod described the experience as the “adventure of a lifetime” but he admitted it was not all smooth going.
After setting off on their journey on New Year’s Day and overcoming the mountain roads in Italy and Greece and 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, East Africa.
They were saved by the car’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 on January 29.
Rod 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 have 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 Rod 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.
Seaward Group’s products are used by electrical contractors and industrial engineers to test the safety of electrical equipment, appliances and systems.
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Weather for Peterlee
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
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Sunny spells
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