Flying over the snow-covered Andes into Santiago was dramatic, no less than the old Kai Tak landing over high rise apartments where you could actually see what people were watching on their TVs. With a few hours to kill before catching my flight up to Calama, I went into town to get myself some supplies after Iberia forgot to transfer my bag from BA (and I thought Oneworld works well together).
I am so glad I had to make the trip as on the bus I met one of the most legendary and colourful competitors in the four deserts series. Mr. Otshka is a lovely 66-year-old gentleman from Japan but nobody could have guessed he is also the only person who has completed all four deserts races since the very beginning. We chatted away about how he and his team mate supported each other in Antarctica, that he is so looking forward to compete in Atacama again, and how he so respects Mary in organising these races. We were so animated and chatty that other people on the bus started to ask us about RacingthePlanet. Maybe we have enrolled some future competitors……
Today is the first official day for all the volunteers helping out in the Atacama Crossing, and I joined in the two-day volunteer training to familiarise myself with the race and most importantly the health and safety issues of living in the desert for seven days. Volunteers in these races are very special people. With only a permanent staff of three, a fresh group of volunteers are enrolled before each race to help run all the checkpoints and base camps.
Many of these volunteers have run in a race before, and so know exactly what is involved and what needs to be taken care of. Others have their partners or family members racing, or just want to be part of the excitement. This is an entirely different organisational set-up from the ones I am more familiar with, and is the perfect case study for understanding organisations of the future, staff motivational drivers, and customer experience and loyalty.
The volunteers are a very diverse and lively group, much like London Business School students. The wildest one has to be Lesley, a housewife from Hong Kong who is a veteran at these events. She is known as Lily of the Desert to competitors and volunteers, and anywhere where she is just cannot be dull (you can watch all about her at www.racingtheplanet.com).
All the volunteers are very generous and dedicated to creating the best experience for the competitors, and also for themselves. Right now they are rehearsing receiving racers at a checkpoint and everyone take things so seriously you would think you are on the actual race course.
With only 36 hours till the start of the race, Mary has been busy tidying up all the loose ends and life cannot be more hectic. With an event as complex as this, numerous relationships have to be carefully managed, including numerous local communities regarding right of passage and campsite locations. It is almost like solving a puzzle in a maze and could get very frustrating.
Mary has however kept her cool at all times and work collaboratively with her staff in working through each roadblock, stepping in to join in the negotiation only when needed. I can feel both a sense of respect and camaraderie from everyone here towards Mary.
Tomorrow night will be the official start of the event when all the competitors get registered and their gears checked. I can’t wait for the race to begin.
