Scientists, lawyers, fashion designers, yoga teachers, architects, computer programmers, horticulturists, to mention but a few, are among the 69 male and 52 female competitors who will be competing for a place in the South African 2008/09 Land Rover G4 Challenge team.

The entrants for the regional selections may have excelled in one or two disciplines, but they will now be required to master all – from running, abseiling, kayaking, swimming, navigation, driving, mountain biking, and more.

The Challenge – run in support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies – will see finalists heading to Mongolia to compete against 17 other nations in a battle of mental agility and physical fitness through a combination of off-road driving, adventure sports and strategic tests.

The two previous Challenge finals were won by Belgian Fighter pilot Rudi Thoelens (2003) and South African sportsman Martin Dreyer, who took top honours in 2006.

Dreyer says: “Competitors need to take the selections very seriously. I wasn’t sure what it was all about when I entered and I went into it very blasé! But there were 40 of us in the middle of South Africa and we worked for three days doing a whole bunch of different activities. It was a really big test.”