For the past eight months, we've been embedded with the Race2Recovery team of injured British and American servicemen as they bid to become the first amputees ever to complete the Dakar Rally. From a workshop in Hampshire to the giant sand dunes of Peru we followed every step of their amazing journey for a new, two-part television documentary. Dakar Rally: Frontline to Finish Line, which debuts on ITV4 this Wednesday at 9pm and concludes on Friday at the same time. For the taster
see here
Amazing guys, amazing story, unimissable TV
Race2Recovery had four Land Rover-based Wildcat rally cars, each pairing an able-bodied crew member with an injured serviceman. Corporal Tom Neathway, for example, co-drove despite losing three limbs while serving in Afghanistan. The Dakar started in Lima, Peru, then raced almost 6,000 miles across South America, looping through Argentina and finishing in Santiago, Chile.
It's known as the world's toughest rally and the team soon found out how tough. They hit problems on the first day and by the end of the first week, three of the four cars were out, one in a huge rollover crash. Worse, one of the support vehicles was involved in road traffic accident that left three team members seriously injured and two local Peruvians dead.
We had cameras in the cars, on the ground and in a helicopter to capture all the drama. So much happened in the first week that we were averaging three hours sleep a night in pop-up tents. But it was worth it. Without wishing to spoil the plot (hint - don't click the link if you don't already know the result), Frontline to Finish Line does have a happy ending. It's a story of an awesome rally, but it's also a great human tale about an extraordinary bunch of blokes taking on a truly epic challenge.
Dakar Rally: Frontline to Finish Line will be shown on ITV4 in two parts, staring on Wednesday, April 24 at 9pm and concluding on Friday April 26 at 9pm.
Donations to the team's fundraising campaign can be made at www.race2recovery.com.