Race Across the World: Caroline and Tom planning further travels
A mother and son who appeared on Race Across the World together have revealed they are saving up to go on more adventures together.The BBC One show saw five pairs of contestants race a distance of about 8,700 miles (14,000km) between the Great Wall of China, north of Beijing, and Kanniyakumari, the southernmost tip of India. Caroline and Tom Bridge, from Hargrave, near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, were first to cross the finish line after 51 days of travelling.Speaking the morning after the final was aired, Ms Bridge said: "It has brought us closer, we now try and have a bit more time for each other."
The 60-year-old, who had not been travelling before, said it had been "amazing" to relive the experience by watching the series air, but the trip itself "took its toll". "You're so tired, so dirty, so hungry and you really feel like you've got nothing left in the tank but you just have to keep plodding on so it really was amazing," she said.Their victory came despite having a slow start to the race, finishing the first leg in last place."We were a day and a half [behind], we couldn't believe how slow we were," Ms Bridge said."We got stuck in Beijing. From the very first out we were so behind we had to dig deep."We went from fifth back to first."
Ms Bridge said the experience had strengthened the relationship between mother and son."We now try and have a bit more time for each other," she said. "We actually make time to stop and enjoy the simple things together and we are hoping to go travelling again."While the pair's next adventure is still in the planning process, they know for sure that this time they will have a mobile phone, something which is prohibited on the show."Tom is back working and we are hoping to save up and plan to go to Kazakhstan with rucksacks but obviously with a phone this time and see what takes our fancy."It will just be the two of us because we like to walk and be impulsive and we don't mind roughing it."
While Ms Bridge spoke to BBC Radio Suffolk about the pair's win, son Tom opted for a lie-in. However, upon reaching the finish line, the 21-year-old said he had "never been prouder" of his mum.He said: "It's a pretty good feeling. I am lost for words I can't believe it."Fifty-one days racing through countries that I never thought I'd go to, I never thought we'd come this far, I never thought we'd achieve so much and I've never been prouder of my mum - she got me through it."
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