A Derry father and daughter are among the contestants in the new series of BBC One's Race Across the World, which begins on Thursday night.
Geography teacher Andrew Clifford, 54, and his junior doctor daughter, Molly, 23, from Maghera, will make their Race Across the World debuts on BBC One on Thursday at 8:00pm as "five intrepid teams embark on the journey of a lifetime, racing more than 12,000km across Europe and Asia".
They will travel through Italy, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Mongolia - and they must do it all without phones or credit cards "on a budget of less than £26 per person per day".
When asked by the BBC why they wanted to take part in the series, Molly Clifford replied: "We keep calling it a joke gone too far.
"We were sitting watching it on TV one night and the option to apply came up, and every time we watch it, we always say that we would love to do it.
"The next day, the ad popped up on Daddy's Facebook, and so we put an application in thinking nothing of it, and it's kind of just been a whirlwind since then."
"I am living a dream here," said Andrew Clifford.
"This is what I've always wanted to do but never had the willingness to do it, nor the money or the circumstances, but I've always wanted to go backpacking.
"I have a wife who would very much not want to do it - it would be her ultimate nightmare to have a backpack on going around places.
"But I've always wanted to do it, and so to do it with my daughter, I am absolutely delighted."
"We're good at being rough and ready, Daddy a lot more than me," Molly continued.
"I was packing shampoo and conditioner and he said, 'Why do you need both of them for? I have a 3in1'. Hence, why he has no hair. Daddy's definition of rough is that he would live in two t-shirts if he could."
"Molly has been sent on a secret mission by my wife to make sure that I dress coordinated," laughed Andrew.
"Backpacking-wise, I have never done it and it's a totally new experience to me. The last time I had a backpack on my back was when I was in the Cubs, so that was when I was like 11."
The duo are bringing some special things from home.
"I have the colours of our town on our backpacks, our local kind of football clubs, and we've got sunflowers for Daddy's friend that passed away, Marie, and then Daddy's school colours on it," said Molly.
"It's very Irish of us to support our colours and be proud of where we're from and who we're doing this for."
"The family has been so supportive of us and so excited," said Andrew.
"They've given us little trinkets, but being where we're from, it's generally prayers to keep you safe.
"I have my father-in-law's old rosary beads and the crucifix from it, so it's more a prayerful thing.
"The more this process goes on, the more I have realised the team that surrounds us back home.
"I'm delighted we're starting in Palermo, in Sicily, because my mum's next-door neighbour was from Sicily, and so she has a connection with us."
When asked if they are "in it to win it", Andrew replied: "I want the best of both worlds.
"I want the best of the experience, but also, we of course like the idea of winning. Is it the most important thing in my mind at the moment? No, it's the experience.
"I would hate to have the idea that winning is the only thing, because then you're missing out so much.
"So, winning is there, it's in the background, and that will take care of itself when it has to, but the experience is first and foremost."
"As Daddy says, second place is the first loser, and that is kind of the overriding opinion," said Molly.
"We want to prove ourselves, and that is very much the story throughout our lives - push yourself to the best you can be.
"If that's last place, we'll take it. We'll be absolutely fuming, but we will take it.
"But if that's first place, by Jesus, we'll push ourselves to get there. If we get eliminated, we won't be able to go home."
"Molly is my best friend after my wife," Andrew concluded.
"We have a great relationship and we've spent an awful lot of time together.
"She's been a good friend, and again, she's my daughter, but I can sit down and I can chat away to her. She's willing to listen, and I know the conversation doesn't go any further.
"It's a father-daughter relationship; I understand that, but there's a bit more than that, and that's why I want to do it with Molly. She gets me; I get her, and she's a great kid."
"For me, I did the big thing and moved away to university," said Molly.
"We were very close in the house and Daddy would always come to every one of my hockey matches and be my cheerleader.
"And it's just kind of letting him know that, no, I may not need him physically there anymore, but I need him as a buddy and as a friend and a confidant."
Race Across the World, Thursdays, BBC One, 8:00pm
