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A once-in-a-lifetime drive

Barrett Gibb is planning to go on the drive of a lifetime.

Gibb, who was born and raised in Hay River and now lives in Calgary, has joined a team entering the Mongol Rally – a 17,000-km, 26-country odyssey that will take him from the Czech Republic to Siberia.

This is the vehicle that Barrett Gibb and his teammates will be driving in the Mongol Rally. The vehicle was previously used by another team to complete the event. photos courtesy of Barrett Gibb

"It will be an amazing adventure, possibly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, really," he said.

The Mongol Rally is not really a race, but an event in which the goal is to have the most amazing adventures and experiences.

"In fact, whoever shows up to the finish line first gets a wooden spoon. It's a gag prize or something," said Gibb. "The whole goal of this race is not about the finish line. It's about how you get there."

This year's Mongol Rally starts on July 13 in Prague and participants have a maximum of 10 weeks to reach the Siberian city of Ulan Ude.

Up to 400 teams take part, often in funny or unusual vehicles including an expected double-decker bus this year.

Gibb and his fellow adventurers have a car waiting for them in England. They bought the vehicle from a former rally driver.

"So we're hoping it can do it again," Gibb said.

There is no set route for them to take, he explained. "You can go whichever way you want, really. They say though that, if you take the northern route and you go through Russia all the way, you're a wuss, and don't do it."

The 27-year-old will be part of a team with two friends – Jackson Weibe and Jamie Dainton from High River, Alta.

Weibe, the organizer, asked Gibb if he was interested in joining the team – called Team Grizzly Rims with a Facebook page of the same name.

Barrett Gibb: former resident of Hay River to go on a drive from the Czech Republic to Siberia.

"My immediate answer was, 'Yes, of course I'd like to come on this. It sounds amazing,'" he recalled.

Gibb is looking forward to seeing some incredible sights on the rally, which will include driving on the ancient Silk Road through the Middle East, and seeing countries such as Iran, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

However, he drew the line at Afghanistan when one of his teammates suggested driving through that war-torn country.

Gibb said he just really wants to see a lot of stuff that he's never seen before.

"I've been only to the U.K. before as far as the European continent goes," he said. "So I'm really looking forward to being immersed in a bunch of different cultures, trying new foods, meeting new people. Just being exposed to things I've never seen before, really."

Gibb, who is in Calgary studying mechanical engineering technology at SAIT after earning a BA in psychology from the University of Calgary, noted he loves art and architecture.

"The big thing that I'm super excited for is while we're in Iran we're going to see the ruins of Persepolis," he said.

And he's looking forward to seeing Turkmenistan's Gates of Hell, a crater that has been burning since 1971.

Plus, the team will attempt to see as many World Heritage Sites and natural wonders as possible.

Bev Gibb of Hay River said she was a bit leery when she first heard of her son's plans to take part in the rally, especially travelling through countries with civil unrest.

"Of course, with everything you hear it's always the worst of the worst, and being it's your kid you're always fearful," she said.

However, Bev Gibb said she became supportive once she learned more about the Mongol Rally.

She said she found many stories of the rally to be silly or funny, and came around to the belief that it would be a shame if her son did not take part because of his family's misguided worry.

"I think the first reaction was just flat-out fear," she said. "I was like, 'Have you lost your mind?' That's a good lesson in don't just assume the worst and sit there with fears that are not at all grounded in anything."

Bev Gibb noted her son always marched to his own beat and was never afraid to try anything.

Now she is looking forward to hearing his stories and seeing pictures from his adventure.

The Mongol Rally, which began in 2004, has a fundraising aspect, as each team must collect at least £1,000 ($1,775) for a charity.

Team Grizzly Rims is raising money for a group called Cool Earth, which works to stop deforestation in rainforests, mostly in South America.

As of late last week, the team had raised £526 ($933).