EditorYoung Nantgaredig couple ‘race across the world’ in BBC series
The Great Wall of China was the starting point of this year’s epic race. Five teams must navigate three of Asia’s most diverse nations, China, Nepal and India, in a race of over 14,000km to reach the finish line, Kanniyakumari, the southernmost tip of India.
Besides teenage couple, Fin and Sioned teams include: sisters, Elizabeth and Letitia; former married couple, Yin and Gaz, brothers, Brian and Melvyn; and mother and son, Caroline and Tom.
Racing across vast distances without smartphones or bank cards, and armed only with cash equating to the cost of flying the route, our teams will be pushed to their absolute limits. Only one team can claim victory over the others and win the cash prize of £20,000.
We caught up with Finn and Sioned before they set off on their epic journey
Why did you want to take part in the series?
Sioned: I wanted to travel anyway, so it’s a great start for that, but along with discovering more about myself and Fin, just strengthening that bond in a very real and authentic way. Weve not really been together just the two of us before so this is something where we will have to rely and depend on each other, we don’t have another choice. A lot about self-discovery I think as well as seeing more of the world in the process.
Fin: It’s a way to see if me and her can be together basically, if it can work forever. A challenge to see if it will make or break us.
Have you got a strategy going into the race?
Sioned: We’ve spoken about this – not really! Its more of a go with the flow thing for us.
Fin: We do want to win but more just see how it goes, see what we see and experience new things.
Sioned: Its hard to have a strategy when you don’t know whats ahead. Its hard to plan. Deal with what comes our way when it comes our way.
Have you picked up any tips from previous series?
Sioned: I’ve got travel cards that have pictures of transport on them, because we’ve seen on previous series, other parts of the world, being able to communicate is hard, especially where we are.
How have you prepared for the trip?
Fin: I’ve been going on a lot of hikes. We’ve been on some walks together. Sioned was trying to learn a bit of Spanish, although thats totally out of the window here!
Sioned: It’s been mainly fitness preparations. We did try to do stuff without our phones – try to direct ourselves, but it was hard as our phone was always in our pocket so I’d always reach for it but now we don’t have a choice.
Would you say you’re quite adventurous?
Sioned: Yeah, I’d say so. Travelling has been something that both of us have wanted to do anyway, so it would have been the start of next year that we would have wanted to go. It would have been this style of travelling as well, back packing, sightseeing, a lot of walking and new activities.
How competitive are you both? Are you in it to win it?
Fin: We’re very competitive with each other. But I feel like as a team, we are also very competitive. But there’s also a part of us that doesn’t want to just go straight and not see anything and just win, you’ve got to experience it as well.
Sioned: I want to say we’re in it to win it because we are, but we’re not going to let that stop us from enjoying the whole experience of it.
What do you think your strengths and weaknesses are?
Fin: I think we balance each other out. When Sioned gets stressed, if she misses a train – I’m quite good at helping her to get through that, calming her down.
Sioned: My strength is map reading. Were good together because anything that Fin can’t do, I can, and vice versa.
What are you imagining your biggest challenges might be during the trip?
Fin: Before, I would have said communication, but now I’m thinking about food.
Sioned: I was going to say mine is trying hard not to take my stress out on you, because I know that i can get angry at you, even though its not your fault. I think Fin will struggle with budgeting, he does like to splurge!
What roles do you think you’ll take on the race?
Fin: I think it’ll be Sioned with the passports and the money and me probably doing the haggling, trying to get the best deals.
Sioned: Normally it’s me that speaks to strangers more, but Fin has really grown in confidence, so I think he might take over that role now.
Would you say you cope well during a crisis, are you calm under pressure?
Fin: I definitely am, but Sioned, definitely no.
Sioned: It depends on the crisis. If I see a way out… maybe! I’ll have a five-minute meltdown and then I’ll be fine and say lets go!
How do you feel about travelling without a mobile phone or credit card?
Sioned: I don’t feel very comfortable at the minute! It’s so out of the norm for us as its literally in your pocket the whole time.
Fin: I think it’ll get easier as we go along, but the first few days are going to be hard.
Fin Gough and Sioned Cray(Image: BBC/Studio Lambert/Gary Moyes)
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve brought with you?
Fin: I was going to bring my back scratcher as Sioned won’t do it, but I didn’t end up packing it!
Sioned: I’ve got quite a lot of sentimental stuff with me as my mums quite sad about me leaving. I have a few bracelet charms that have welsh words from my mum on. Fin’s mum gave me a bracelet and he’s got a matching one – I’ve got a few badges pinned to my bag from my grandparents and my mum. And i have my Wales towel – a reminder of home!
Name the top 3 creature comforts you’ll struggle to live without?
Sioned: Pets. Big time. I’ve got two dogs and a hamster.
Fin: I’ve got Oscar, my dog, and Winston, my cat. Just food as well. Nothing fancy, just plain and boring food, so Chicken and rice and tuna with sweetcorn. Also driving, I’m going to miss driving to the gym or just going for a drive.
What’s the one reason you’ve chosen to undertake this challenge with each other?
Sioned: More self-discovery. We’ve been together a long, long time, and it’s been very samey for the past four and a half years.
Fin: We’ve never had a proper challenge. This will push us and we have a lot of learning to do.
What do the rest of your family make if you’re doing this together?
Sioned: So my mum actually mentioned it and thought it was a good idea for me to do it. She initially said I should do it with my brother, but I didn’t think that was a good idea, so I went for it with Fin. So my family are actually very supportive. They love the show themselves and they’re very sad to see me go, but they know it’s an insane opportunity and want me to really go for it.
Fin: I think my mum’s quite proud. My brother is very jealous, because he’d love to do this as well.
What other skills do you think you’ll bring to the race?
Sioned: I think we’re a bit lacking in skills! We’re just us! Our fitness is good, my organisation could come in handy. Our communication is good and we can depend on each other for different things. So we do have skills, I underestimate us.
Will there be anything surprising that viewers might learn about you when they watch it?
Sioned: Probably me getting annoyed, because I feel like I come across as such a smiley little girl, because I’m only little as well. But then when I get annoyed, I’m just a bit like…
Fin: a monster!
Sioned: People might think ooh she gets really stressed out. I don’t know if people would expect that.
Name the most annoying habit that you’re going to struggle with?
Sioned: He takes all my stuff. Like my food and water. I’m happy to share it, but it’s when I’m really rationing it and I’m like, okay, that’s annoying. Also snoring. That is annoying, but I can sleep through it so all good.
Fin: Talking. It gets to a point where i just want to be quiet and chill and she’ll not stop. She’ll only be quiet after she gets offended, and then I have to say sorry because she was offended, because I’ve told her to be quiet!
What are you hoping to get out of this experience?
Sioned: A stronger bond. We’ve got such a strong bond anyway, but to know 100% that we can fully depend on each other and just see more of the world.
Fin: I hope it’ll make me step out of my comfort zone, experience new things that I haven’t experienced before and share some amazing times with Sioned.
Race Across the World is on BBC One on Wednesday’s at 9pm and on iPlayer.
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