0000 ABOUT US AND OUR CHOSEN CHARITIES......(Click here)

Ashton at 2017 Targa High Country, Australia

Ashton Roskill is a 52 year old Management Consultant, who lives in Sydney with his wife Caroline, dog Jasper, two cats, and (currently) 5 ducks. Born in Nowra NSW, his family then returned to England where he grew up, only returning to Australia to live in 2003.

Sylva Striker used in European ralles.

Ashton's "new" but original Lotus XI

He has always been interested in motorsport, dirt-track racing a Mini and forest rallying an Escort RS  2000 in the 1980's, and motorcycle racing at Knockill in the 1990's. Since 2000 he has competed in sprints both in the UK and Australia in his Lotus Elise , and in 2012 and 2014 he competed in European rallies with his brother in a Sylva Striker. In the last couple of years he has managed to get a classic 1950's Lotus XI together and running for the first time in its life - A remarkable and well documented achievement.

He enjoys a busy life of work mixed with enjoying hs cars to the fullest, and is currently President of Club Lotus Australia. 

Giles with a friendly tiger

Giles hillclimbing his Elise

Giles Cooper is a 69 year old retiree, married to Janet, living in Queensland, and trying to keep fit with help from his dog, a standard poodle called Trooper. Originally a school teacher, he then somehow ended up in the Oilfeld, and spent the next 39 years living and working all over the world. Like Ashton, he has been interested in motorsport all his life, raced karts in the Middle East in the 1970's, Formula Ford in UK, USA, and Australia in the 1980's, and then bought a Lotus Elise in the UK in 1999, meeting Ashton at a Lotus gathering in Scotland in 2003. Returning to Australia, he sprinted and hill climbed his Elise, but contracted throat cancer in 2006. When he eventually recovered, he retired from full-time work in 2009 and, looking for an out-of-the-ordinary adventure, in 2012 shipped his Lotus to Los Angeles in

At the Alaskan Arctic Circle in 2012

America and drove (via Laguna Seca and Pikes Peak) to the Arctic Circle in Alaska,  becoming the first person ever to take a Lotus to the Alaskan Arctic Circle.   This ignited his love of long distance travel, and in 2014 he returned to Alaska in a Toyota Landcruiser, later driving down through Central America to the bottom of S America in Tierra del Fuego. He then continued to explore Europa and N Africa in 2015, before returning home to Australia via Iceland and Canada in 2016.
On his return to Australia, Ashton asked Giles if he would like to join him on the Peking to Paris in 2019...........And so the adventure
                                                                                       begins........

OUR CHOSEN CHARITIES AND DONATION COMMITMENT
 

One purpose of our Adventure on the P2P is to stretch our personal abilities and  experiences to the maximum.  Both of us have pushed ourselves many times during our lives, exploring new personal boundaries, but to compete in the P2P promises to take it to a new level, and we are both looking forward to the challenge.

However, we are not just doing this for ourselves, and another important target of this event is to raise money for charities.  Each of us has chosen a charity that is close to our hearts – Ashton has chosen Beyond Blue, which is dedicated to helping people who suffer from anxiety or depression, leading to potential suicide, so that EVERYONE in Australia can achieve their best possible mental health, whatever their age and wherever they live.  While many of us know of people who need support in this regard, Ashton and I have both had recent first hand experience with a close friend who  was unable to handle the stresses of modern life.  Hopefully our support will ensure that funds and support are made available to maximize help for everyone who needs it.

In 2006 Giles was diagnosed with throat cancer, and for 8 months lived with a trachy and went through chemotherapy and radiation treatment.  He has been in remission now for 10 years, and while he still experiences minor side effects, he considers them minor because he is still here and jumping.   Cancer diagnosis and research is consequently very important to Giles, and his chosen charity is the Cancer Council of Queensland, who provided him with so much support and excellent treatment during his personal journey. 

Our Donation Commitment is that half of everything we raise will go to our chosen charities.  In addition, 100% of any surplus funds that remain at the end of the event will be donated to them.  We are not going to set a target at this stage because we feel that this could limit our fundraising potential in the long run. 

Beyond Blue

Cancer Council of Queensland