748 million without clean water. Four American lads, 10,000 miles, 5 mountain ranges, 3 deserts, One '95 VW Polo.

The Mongol Rally is a racing event from London to Ulan-ude, Russia, starting July 19th this year. Four American boys, 10,000 miles, 8 times zones, 5 mountain ranges, 3 deserts, 24 countries in a 1995 VW Polo?—?its going to be one adventure-filled race going!

We are Team Yaks on Yaks on Yaks. We are a remote team. One Californian, one Texan, one Kentuckian, and one Georgian displaced in Switzerland.

The rules of the Mongol Rally as a simple as 1, 2, 3.

One, per the official guidelines, “You can take any car, as long as it’s ridiculously small with an engine of 1 litre or less.” Check! One 1.0 litre VW Polo, circa 1995 coming right up. A car with this small of an engine is going to be a challenge for much of the journey, especially with the incredible mountains and places with no roads.

Two, “You are on completely on your own.” There is no backup and no support for participants of the Mongol Rally. Solve your problems yourself, declare the guidelines, or it’s not really an adventure to begin with.

Three, the why. Three words. “Save the world.”

Three the why. Three words. “Save the world.” Or “water, rainforests, orphans.” The purpose of the Mongol Rally is to raise a minimum of £1000 (about $1,500) for charity, £500 of which goes to the official charity of The Adventurists, “Cool Earth. Participants have the option of donating the other £500 to a charity of their choice. So why not choose two more charities? Go big or Go Home right? We chose charity: water!

Why? Because

charity: water innovates.
charity: water gets down to the basics.
charity: water actually give a damn.

charity: water—Focuses on life’s most basic need?—?water. Water is just the first step to significantly cut down disease rates in the developing world. Almost everywhere charity: water builds a freshwater well, sanitation training is provided. In some communities, latrines are built, and at the minimum, simple hand-washing stations made with readily-available materials. Clean water can greatly alleviate the world’s disease burden, but only with education and hygienic practice. Charity: water is committed to using water as a gateway to sanitary living.

If you’re like us, you don’t spend too much time thinking about water -- it’s everywhere we go. When we’re thirsty, we flip a handle or push a button. When we’re dirty, we twist a shower knob. When our garden needs watering, when our pasta needs to be boiled, when we use the bathroom -- water is just an arm's length away.

But, in many developing countries, women and children walk for hours, up and down mountains, just to collect water that can make them really sick.

Help me play a small part in solving the water crisis -- donate to my campaign.

100% of everything we raise will directly fund water projects. And when those projects are finished, charity: water will send us proof in pictures and GPS coordinates, so we can see the actual people and communities we impacted.

We think making a difference is one of the most important aspect of the Mongol Rally. The rally shows that even people, who are stuck in the cubical jungle, can go on meaningful experiences and adventures. Setting aside the time for a multi-week adventure, at which the end, you change the world for the better. Now that is an investment in yourself that everyone needs to make.

Life is all about learning and pushing your limits to find new ones. It’s a dance between risk and recklessness. So the 6 weeks that we embark on this incredible learning experience through the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, the beautiful countryside in Mongolia, the humanity scattered across our ambitious route are going to change us and the world for the better. We will get the chance to experience new cultures and see what makes people across the globe, happy or sad and bring together all those experiences right here on our blog. The countdown begins!

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