With the sand between her toes, wind blowing at gale force pace in her hair and the whales swimming by, Ellen spent her younger days in the costal town of Warrnambool. She grew up with a love for the outdoors, wildlife and all things adventurous.
The call of university took her to Melbourne to study Radiography where she fell so in love with everything Melbourne has to offer she hasn't left. Ellen has always had a love for travel, scraping together any funds and spare time to see new places has always been one of her favourite hobbies!
She heard about the Mongol Rally a few years ago and it has been something she has been dying to do ever since. Excited by the adventure, challenges and new places to explore all in the name of a good cause. Once finding willing teammates in Beth and Clair, the journey began.
For the past year she has given up her one tin a week Milo addiction (which has been pretty difficult, but great for her teeth) and has been putting the money towards saving for the Mongol Rally.
Ellen’s exceptional sense of direction, her wonderful, although sometimes very questionable, map reading skills, her never say die attitude and her new DSLR camera will be a very welcome part of the Silk & Spice.

With the sounds of the surf, the smell of salt and the neigh of horses, Clair grew up on a property in Jan Juc (next to Torquay), near Bells Beach, Australia. After moving to Melbourne a while back for university, Clair now calls Melbourne home.

From a young age Clair had a love for the outdoors and the flora and fauna within it and was inspired by the documentaries of Sir David Attenborough (Sir David Attenborough is still very much her hero). She plans on pretending to be Sir David for the 6 week journey.

Clair's love for new places, new people, new cultures and of course Sir David Attenborough has seen her cross a considerable amount of borders in her time.

Clair will take on the position of Chief Car Fixing Advisor (at 5ft2in her brain is better than her strength), and whilst at present she knows nothing more than how to fuel her car and check the water and oil, she plans on improving her knowledge before the Rally commences and hopes her previous border crossing experiences will also be of use. She definitely does not bring a sense of direction.