All Set to Recollect her History Lessons

Thirteen years ago, a freelance journalist attended a press meet of a car rally and was hooked on the event since then. Shivani Arora, 36, is all set to take part in the 14th edition of Indian Oil-All Women Duchess Car Rally, which will be held on Sunday.

“The car rally has been a regular affair ever since I joined the Duchess Club,” says Shivani, who will be participating in the Duchess category of the rally as a navigator.

With a degree in History that includes a special paper on Chennai’s heritage, Shivani seems to hold a huge advantage, as the theme of the car rally this year is ‘Madras to Chennai’. However, she is determined to read more about the city. “I haven’t read anything new yet. Our textbook was written by S Muthiah. His book set the benchmark of Chennai’s history,” she says. She hints that their costumes, the car and the team name will bring out something traditional.

Out of the 13 rallies that she has been a part of, her team has won thrice. Shivani recalls with a fond memory a winning moment. “Last year was a disaster. We had completely lost the route. But the year before that, we finished the race on time. The theme for that particular year was ‘Save a Girl Child’. We had a little girl along with us in the car who actually helped us with calculations. We finished second and I gave her my trophy,” she says.

Excited about the upcoming rally, Shivani is looking forward to have some fun and relive her history class memories. And she is determined to get the directions right this time. “We can’t just follow a car because it may either go in the wrong or right direction. The best thing to do is concentrate and follow the route given,” said Shivani.

To register and know more about the car rally, call 9841288631.