Jamiul Choudhury

---

What inspired your love for travel?

Always been fascinated with cultures and architectural monuments from the age of 14 when I went to Saudi Arabia on the religious pilgrimage of Umrah. I was supposed to be going with my dad and a group of others from our religious community but ended up having to go without my dad because of circumstances I’d forgotten. I travelled around Saudi with a wonderful group of people, individuals and families, but mostly found myself wondering wandering the cities alone doing what I pleased when I pleased. The pilgrimage sparked the need for travel, adventure and cultural experiences ever since.

What was the one moment from Race Across the World which stands out the most when looking back on it?

I’m going to say, crossing the Darien Gap, not many people get to say they’ve done that. The boat ride was long, the seats solid and the waves bumpy, which did a number on the backside. But the views were Amazing! And the moments of pure peace and tranquillity are times I long for again.

Has your experience on the show changed your life in any way now?

It's changed my outlook on a great many things. Good or bad I’m not sure. (what I should be doing, where I should be going) It opened me up too much more than I thought possible for myself.  It's set up a platform where I’m connected to thousands of people, giving me a voice that I didn’t have before.

Have you ever experienced adversity and if yes, how did you come through it? 

I'd say Race Across the World was an experience of adversity. There were so many times when we felt like we’d failed or lost it. There were moments when we didn’t want to go on but through adversity and determination, we were able to overcome those obstacles.

If you could only take 3 items to a desert island what would you take and why?

Smart Phone (lol). It depends on the circumstances. Things I think would be good to have, if I were to be stranded on a deserted island.

Swiss Army Knife – Handy reliable tool

Box of matches – don’t want to be rubbing sticks together for hours 😛

Where do you next plan to travel to?

This is a very tough question. We did plan on travelling back to South America with a crew to distribute our winnings and more raised first-hand to children in need, but unfortunately, for now, that’s on hold. Also planned on going to Bangladesh to donate the money raised for an orphanage, but decided it would be better to go at a later date when we can invest more time into the project. At this point, I would be happy to go anywhere, but am most likely looking to go to Turkey.

What things do you do to relax?

Netflix & Chill

If you could develop a new talent or skill instantly, what would you choose?

Singing or Acting.

What is one thing you couldn’t travel without?

Water, everything else I think I could pretty much do without lol

If there was a zombie apocalypse, how would you fancy your chances of surviving?

I don’t fancy my chances at all lol, depends on how slow they are. But even then I think very slim, probably be one of the first to go from an asthma attack, rather than the zombies.

What is your favourite TV series/show or film? 

So many to choose from, but one of my favourite TV shows at the moment has to be Rick and Morty.

Do you have any nicknames and if so what are they and their origins?

I have a few but the most common one is ‘Jammy’. ‘Jumbo Jet’ is another given to me by my aunties, because I was a chubby baby.

If you were to hold a dinner party and could invite anybody from history, what 3 people would be first on your list?

Bob  Marley

Leonardo De Vinci

Vincent Van Gogh

What’s your favourite childhood travel memory?

Went to my grandma's in the summer breaks and spent time with my extended family, especially my cousin Abidul.

Which country has the friendliest people?

England lol (we can be nice!)

I’m going to say Peru, the people are so welcoming and eager to help.

What was the best street food you tasted on The Race?

That had to be these burritos we had in Placencia Belize

Would you revisit anywhere you went? Will you go back to see other parts of this country?

I would visit every country again if I could but I think the one on the top of the list is Brazil because there was so much we missed during our time there. Also, Costa Rica because we didn’t get to see it. Only from the windows of a bumpy and smelly coach

What has surprised you about yourself?

My ability to keep pushing forward and not give up, even at times when I felt physically unable, I was able to power through.

How would you describe yourself?

Determined, enthusiastic, charismatic, adventurous, intuitive and curious.

What would you do differently if you were to start The Race again?

Nothing

---

Follow The Journey!

Instagram 

Images by Jamiul Choudhury