Driven To Extremes - Dakar Challenge 2018 in 16-year-old Citroen Berlingo’s

When the scourge of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) sees military careers cut short something extraordinary can be a real boost to restoring a sense of confidence and pride. For nine veterans (five x Army & four x Royal Marine) damaged mentally and physically by the wars in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, it took the vast expanse of the Sahara Desert, cars costing less than £350 and an organisation called Driven To Extremes to help them get back on track. Driven to Extremes was conceived by Mac Mackenney, Managing Director of expedition specialists Max Adventure, in order to fulfil a need to offer Veterans suffering from PTSD an alternative form of therapy where conventional methods of treatment may not have the desired effect. The basis of the ‘Dakar Challenge 2018’ was to take a handful of vehicles completely unsuitable for the desert, in this case 16-year-old Citroen Berlingo’s, fill them with veterans and get them to drive across the original Dakar Rally route through Morocco. Covering 1,000 miles of sand, gravel and rock, the challenge was exactly what attracted the veterans to the project. With the aim of the expedition to regain the teamwork and camaraderie they experienced in the Armed Forces, the participants immersed themselves in a challenging and extreme environment surrounded by people they share a common bond with - something so many veterans greatly miss. Setting off from Gibraltar, across the narrow Straits and into the wonders of Africa, the adventurers spent the next two weeks encountering mountain passes, salt flats, boulder strewn tracks and the powdery golden sands of the Sahara Desert. With a host of the associated problems that come with such a route: punctures, broken oil sumps, missing exhaust pipes and of course endless bog-ins all had to be dealt with. The adventure took the veterans to the edge of nowhere and back again. Expedition Leader Mac, said, “It was supposed to be a tough challenge, that was the point. The veterans were being tested as much as their vehicles. They needed to endure and pull together, just as they did in their military environments. And we chose old Citroen Berlingos because they are basic and could be fixed with simple tools and gaffer tape.” “We survived it, but we were completely shattered,” said challenge team member and former Royal Marine, Matt Abbott. “I never believed such cheap cars would make it through the desert. But when we went up the first dried riverbank and our little car sailed over the top, I felt a buzz I hadn’t experienced in years. I was at rock bottom before I came on the expedition, but I can see me pushing myself again now that I’m home. I feel like the old Matt again.” “Every time we conquered another desert obstacle we would jump up and down like we had just conquered the world,” said teammate and fellow Royal Marine Matt ‘Bish’ Bispham. “I think it was the same in every car. During this expedition I found myself smiling for the first time in 10 years, it really was the best therapy. It was like a defibrillator - it’s kick started me.” Driven to Extremes is intending to repeat the expedition next year as a fund-raising event in which members of the public can take part driving their own cheap cars. They are hoping the participants from this inaugural expedition, like Matt and Bish, will become part of the Support Crew for the next one. Other driving adventures are also planned throughout this year for both military and civilian participants. Veterans struggling with PTSD related problems, who would like to take part in an extreme driving expedition can contact info@driventoextremes.org or visit the 'Driven to Extremes’ website (www.driventoextremes.org). Driven to Extremes would like to thank their sponsors, for without their generous support, this life-changing experience would never have happened: Max Adventure, Shell, Simon Dedman, Craghoppers, Atlas Overland, Toyota Gibraltar, Cooper Tires, Inmarsat, Adrian Flux, The Fat Chef, Directions Hair Colour, Dave Sheldrake, 5 Battalion REME, Maxtrax, Victron, Koni, Vango, Odyssey, DFDS Ferries, Motor Parts Direct, Mintex, Herts Insurance, Air-Seal Products, YB Tracking, Bloc, Goodridge, ICOM, Wynns, Sump Guard, Unique Polymer Systems, Designamite, ATS Euromaster, MOT Supercentre, Aware Promotional Merchandise, Tracks4Africa, 3 Battalion PWRR, British Garrison Gibraltar, British Embassy Morocco, Truscotts Honiton.