'Biggest challenge' for travel boss on tuk-tuk trek

A travel and PR firm director has said she is facing her "biggest challenge" as she joins 35 women on an expedition driving tuk-tuks across India.

The Rickshaw Rally 2026 in March is organised by The Sisterhood, a group of female high achievers who embark on regular charitable adventures.

Jo O'Connell, from Bournemouth, said she hoped to help raise £150,000 for Indian women's projects.

She said leaving her husband and two children would be as hard as driving rickety vehicles for six days on dangerous roads.

O'Connell said she had never spent more than 15 minutes in a tuk-tuk, despite her travel work.

"The first thing everyone says is make sure you have a cushion," she said.

"They're not comfy, they're dusty. Apparently they break down a lot as well."

She said the women would be taught how to negotiate potholes and "chaotic and often quite dangerous traffic".

The 1,200km (745-mile) coast-to-coast voyage starts in Chennai on 2 March and is due to arrive in Goa on International Women's Day, 8 March.

The route will visit projects helped by previous challenges, as well as the cities of Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore and Panaji.

Money raised will support women's charities working in education, skills training and healthcare.

O'Connell said: "Too many women and girls in India are held back by a lack of education, limited opportunities, and easily preventable health risks."

The mother of two will be joined by her sister, Lisa Mountain Thompson, who she said had healthcare issues close to her heart after becoming critically ill during childbirth.

"As a group of strong women, we're not just talking about change – we're driving it," she said.