Not all those who wander are lost. For team Desi Wander Women, India’s first Indian-born rally team, they found purpose and passion in preparation for the rally.
The team comprises a group of friends Manisha Mishra, Anubha Verma and Pooja Sharma who have known each other a number of years.This factored in on their journey together when taking on a challenge like the Mongol Rally 2023.
”Six weeks on the road with people you don’t know well is a long time. With this gang I feel so confident that we’re going to have a good time because both these girls have such a great sense of adventure,” says Pooja. Typically.” Teams participating in the Mongol Rally have to cover 16,000 to 20,000 kms (almost half the earth’s circumference) from the UK to Mongolia in a 1200 cc or below car by themselves All while also supporting a cause and fundraising for impact.
So what led these three friends, all of whom are above the age of forty to pursue such a thrilling task? “There are two aspects to it,” explains Manisha. One of course was the adventure and the challenge that we need to get out there and see the world… Other than that it was also about taking small significant steps, that when we look back on our lives in ten years our lives had meaning.”
This rally is close to Manisha, Pooja and Anubha for reasons beyond a pure sense of adventure. Being able to raise awareness for causes that are close to them was also a secondary reason. “All of us have picked a cause close to our hearts. Anubha is going to be doing the rally and raising funds for elderly care. Manisha is working on cancer care. And I’m going to be raising awareness for neurodiversity,” says Pooja.
Besides raising awareness, the trio also hope to make young girls across the country realize that if they have an adventurous dream in mind, they can achieve it. Being forty plus and fabulous, the Desi Wander Women also show us inspiringly that age need not be an obstacle on the way of adventure.
