Briton Mark McIntosh is a physiotherapist from Gloucestershire in the United Kingdom. He is particularly interested in musculoskeletal and neurological rehabilitation, and integrates this with his role as an adaptive sports instructor. Mark speaks conversational French and Spanish and previously joined the RacingThePlanet / 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series volunteer team at the Gobi March (China) 2015, the Sahara Race (Nambia) 2016 and RacingThePlanet: New Zealand 2019. Mark is excited to rejoin the RacingThePlanet / 4 Deserts team at the Atacama Crossing 2025.
Natasha FANSHAWE
Self-employed
United Kingdom
Natasha Fanshawe calls herself a RacingThePlanet junky, stating that participating in the races is a life addiction. She has raced twice (in Jordan and Namibia) and volunteered eight times, including taking on a management role at The Last Desert 2018 and Gobi March (Mongolia) 2019.
She set up her own company Light Style Space, as a declutterer, where she helps people to get rid of unwanted stuff and simultaneously runs a sustainability network called "And The Future" with a friend. She also works on events when help is needed. If the event involves food or an adventure, she is there, and she thinks RacingThePlanet fulfills the latter. Amongst other job projects, Natasha has worked for the Olympic Committee in preparation for the London 2012 Olympics.
The races she has volunteered at previously include the Atacama Crossing 2011, RacingThePlanet: Iceland 2013, Ecuador 2015, Patagonia 2017, The Last Desert (Antarctica) 2018, Gobi March (Mongolia) 2019 and most recently RacingThePlanet: Lapland 2022. She has also completed RacingThePlanet: Jordan 2012 and the Namib Race 2016 as a racer. She is working herself up to racing in another event. Until then, we' re thrilled to have her return as a volunteer for the ninth time at the Atacama Crossing 2025.
Raymond ALDERDICE
Retired
United Kingdom
Raymond (Ken) Alderdice is a former insurance broker from Ireland. In 1974, at the age of 16, he started working and after 44+ years, he retired in 2018. Ken was looking for adventure during his retirement days and came across the Atacama Crossing (Chile) on TV, and he thought that RacingThePlanet would be a really good place to start. He made his debut as a volunteer at the Gobi March (Mongolia) in 2019 where he was inspired to race himself. He set his sights on RacingThePlanet: Georgia 2020 and lost 10 kg as part of his preparation. After six thwarted attempts due to COVID restrictions and injury, he at last made it to the start of the Gobi March (Mongolia) 2024 for his first time as a competitor at a RacingThePlanet / 4 Deserts Race. He has, however, volunteered on three more occassions, at the Namib Race 2021 and 2024, and the Atacama Crossing 2023. Ken is a keen traveller who loves the outdoors. He has been skiing every year since 1987 and plays golf all year round. You can also spot Ken sailing or doing volunteer work with disabled people. Ken says: "I want to see places that I wouldn't normally travel to and RacingThePlanet allows me to do that!"
Hannah LYONMEARS
Clinical Research Doctor
United Kingdom
Hannah is a UK-based medical doctor and currently completing a PhD in traumatic brain injury. She has grown up supporting her family and triathlon club with various Ironman and other sporting events around the UK and abroad. She has completed triathlon and running races and has been lucky enough to trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and the Himalayas in India and Nepal. Along with sporting pursuits, she loves travelling and musical theatre. The Atacama Crossing (Chile) 2025 will be Hannah’s first time volunteering for a RacingThePlanet / 4 Deserts event!
Carrie OWER
Retired
United States
Carrie Ower joins us for her first RacingThePlanet / 4 Deserts event as a volunteer at the Atacama Crossing 2025. She was inspired to volunteer by being part of the Friends and Family Experience while watching her husband complete the Gobi March in Mongolia in 2023. She is looking forward to her second Friends and Family Experience as she watches her husband participate in The Last Desert race in Antarctica in 2024. A retired Employee Benefits Account Executive, Carrie loves to travel and enjoys an active lifestyle that includes chasing after her three beautiful grandchildren, being her husband's (unofficial) copilot, walking and running. Her love of travel led to her providing SAG support for an epic cycling journey across Scotland for the NC500 in 2023. She is enthusiastically looking forward to supporting RTP and cheering on all of the Desert adventurers as they fulfill their dreams of competing in a 250K stage race across the desert.
Antonio (Brito) TEIXEIRA
Engineer
Portugal
Antionio "Brito" Teixeira is a mechanical engineer from Portugal who also has experience organising trail running events in Portugal and Cape Verde. The Atacama Crossing 2025 is first experience at a RacingThePlanet Ultramarathon.
Sebastian LASSALLE
Triathlon Coach
Argentina
Arthur CHIN
Retiree
Malaysia
Malaysian Arthur Chin recent retired as a partner after a 30-year career with KPMG in Malaysia. Arthur is an active member of Lions Clubs International providing him with great experience with volunteerism and humanitarian endeavors. Arthur is physically fit and an active long distance runner and trekker.
Monica ROSA
Emergency Room Nurse
United States
Kathryn (Katie) SANDERS
Doctor
United Kingdom
Ekaterina THEISEN
Fitness Coach
, Resident in Singapore
Wendy HARDING
Realtor
South Africa
Wendy Harding joins us from South Africa for her second RacingThePlanet / 4 Deserts event at the Atacama Crossing (Chile) 2025 having been a great volunteer at the Gobi March (Mongolia) 2024. She has been fascinated with RacingThePlanet events for many years and is excited to finally join one as a volunteer. She is preparing to race herself at RacingThePlanet: Greece later this year.
Zyrianova RADOSLAVA
Rada Radoslava loves life. She is an independent partner of "Herbalife Nutrition", to help people lose wight and improve their overall well being. She has always been active and finds creative ways to do this together with her two children. She likes reading books, learning languages bringing up her children in an active way, sports and travelling. Rada likes a good balance of being in noisy company and total silence. The Atacama Crossing 2025 is her first time at a RacingThePlanet which she joins with her husband who is racing having finished 3rd in the Namib Race 2024.
Michael THEISEN
Aircraft Maintenance Engineer
Germany, Resident in Singapore
Maria GARCIA
physiotherapy student
United States
Iryna ZHAYVORONOK SOFILKANICH
Lawyer
Ukraine, Resident in Spain
Iryna Zhayvoronok Sofilkanich is from Ukraine but has lived in Spain for more than 20 years and currently lives in Tenerife having grown up between Poland, Argentina and Barcelona. She loves travelling around the world which she has done since she was a child and speaks 8(!) languages including English, Spanish, French and Italian very well - saying she is happy to learn a new one if needed! The Atacama Crossing (Chile) 2025 is Iryna's second time as a volunteer at a RacingThePlanet / 4 Deserts ultramarathon - her "very sporty" husband is also racing. She is a fast learner, easy going, first-aid qualified and will be a great help at the race.
Youn Jee KANG
LATAM Human Rights Officer
Korea (South)
Carly STEGGLES
Personal trainer and business owner
Australia
Timothy (Tim) NAYLOR
Employment-break (previously in financial communications)
United Kingdom
Sing Moon (Miranda) HUNG
Hong Kong
Dante ARMEAGA
Lawyer / Teacher
Mexico
Dante Armeaga is a Mexican Lawyer who works for the Mexican Education Ministry in Toluca, one of the highest cities in Mexico. He was born and raised in Toluca, but has also spent time living in Singapore and London. His cousin ran the Gobi March and Dante was "blown away by what he told me" and wants to experience a race himself. He is just getting into running but has decided to volunteer at his first RacingThePlanet Ultramarathon at the Atacama Crossing 2025.
Privacy policy and cookies:
By browsing this website you accept cookies used to improve and personalise our services and marketing, and for social activity. Read our Privacy Policy for more about what we do with your data, as well as your rights and choices – including how to manage cookies.