The Rickshaw Challenge – Mumbai Xpress 2016 ended just a couple of days ago, so we went undercover to find out what recent participants have to say for the future generation of rickshaw racers. We managed to catch Kristina Cheffins for a quick interview…
-Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you participated in the Rickshaw Challenge! Have you ever embarked on a similar adventure?
My name is Kristina Cheffins and I am Head of Performing Arts at Doha British School in Qatar. I have done a lot of travelling, often including some form of charity work along the way, but I have never done anything quite this crazy before – it was one of the best experiences I have ever had. I was raising funds for Dementia UK, because my Dad is in a home with dementia and my partner in crime was raising funds for Scottish Autism, as his nephew has autism. We also donated our rickshaw deposit to Round Table India as we were so impressed with the work they are doing to help improve education.
-What did India teach you?
To keep smiling no matter what. The one thing I took away with me more than anything was the nature of the people. They were so welcoming and genuinely interested in what we were doing. People will do anything to help you out. Good karma goes a long way. I will try to be more patient in future and try to do something good for a stranger every day like they did for us.
-What was your most “only in India” experience?
It has to be something to do with the driving, and the lack of logic (ha-ha,) but somehow it works. Also, driving down the wrong side of the road with your lights on to let people know you’re coming: at one point, we missed a turn off on a highway so we did exactly that. Did a U-turn and drove back down the hard shoulder.
-What was the first thing that crossed your mind when you saw your Rickshaw?
– What was your craziest/best experience or moment during the Rickshaw Challenge?
-Which city or town was your favourite and why?
-How many breakdowns did you have (and how did you manage to solve the problem) ?
-What was the food or drink that you never want to live without ever again?
