Guy Woodcock's End Of 2018 Summary
This is the final Heroics for 2018, we have had a challenging year with 8 HERO events, starting with the Winter Challenge in February right the way through to last week’s Le Jog...
And Relax!
This is the final Heroics for 2018, we have had a challenging year with 8 HERO events, starting with the Winter Challenge in February right the way through to last week’s Le Jog, all of which, I think, the teams delivered to the highest standard. We hope that all competitors, marshals and officials enjoyed the rollercoaster year of events from blocked passes on the Winter Challenge, road closures on other events, last minute panics in terms of test venues, the solutions to which I hope appeared seamless on the surface to our competitors. There was certainly quite a lot of paddling going on under the surface of some of the events but everybody in the team and organisation stepped up to the mark, so a massive thank you to everyone from me.
As you are all now aware during this year, Hero acquired the Endurance Rally Association and I would like to welcome all those people involved in that company into the HERO Family. It was an interesting experience for me to tackle my first long distance event in India and Nepal working with the team, some of which I knew, others I can now very much class as friends. It was certainly a baptism of fire with the escape from Manali over the suspension bridge, one or two other near-death experiences on the event. Thanks to all those people who I met for the first time and welcomed me with open arms into the ERA fold. It is great to work with new people in this ever expanding business.
Now a break for Christmas and the New Year, hopefully leaving everybody alone until the middle of January when I return, well maybe the odd email!
In 2019 there are 13 events to be organised by my team of George Mullins, Nick Reeves and Daniel Pidgeon. Working with our established route planners, Anthony Preston, Mark Appleton, Gill Cotton, Chris Elkins and Jim Smith, Bob and Will Rutherford, Justin Morris, Ian Butcher, Tryggvi Thordarson, Alan Teare and others plus all the volunteer officials on the events. I hope that the competition department will flourish and grow, I believe we can deliver a full calendar that excites all the team but also attracts a full and wide range of competitors from those novices right the way through to your experienced crews.
For myself the challenge will be to survive the 36 days of Peking to Paris but again it’s an exciting time ahead for the company.
2019 will culminate with the 25th Le Jog, we are lucky to have the first and only gold medal winner from 1993 John Kiff involved in the organisation and route planning for what will be an exciting event.
Finally without the support and help of all the marshals those people who turn out on events whether it’s in sunny climes or the cold, wet horrible nights that we have in the UK particularly on Le Jog and Rally of the Tests, the company and these events could not survive without your undying support for which we thank you and look forward to seeing you all standing on the side of the road or in a nice warm inside time control, if you’re lucky, in 2019.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!