The Kindness of Strangers

Sioned Cray – a contestant in the recent BBC TV series Race Across the World – on the kindness of strangers that kept them going during such an exhausting challenge.

In a world that is often defined by urgency, stress and self-interest, it's easy to overlook the quiet but powerful force that holds everything together: kindness.

When Fin and I embarked on Race Across the World, we were expecting physical fatigue, tight budgets, and logistical chaos, but we hadn't anticipated how much we would rely on the generosity of strangers. Time and time again, kindness was what kept us going.

From the first step of the journey, we were amazed by people who had nothing to gain by helping us, but who chose to do so anyway. Whether it was someone sharing a seat on a packed bus, offering directions in a foreign language, or paying for tickets or food for us, these moments became fuel for our journey. These were not great dramatic acts; they were often just simple deeds. But when you're tired, lost, and thousands of miles from home, a little bit of humanity feels enormous.

One day our spirits were low, and we were panicking that once we got off the bus there would be no transport available to go any further. We asked people on the bus about our options, and without giving it a second thought, a man named Artie made a phone call and immediately arranged a taxi for us.

But even though he had already helped us, and we were no longer feeling stressed out, he insisted on sharing the dinner his wife had cooked for him because he knew we hadn't eaten that day. We didn't speak a great deal of the same language, but the warmth in his actions didn't require translation. That reminded us why we were doing this, not just for the race, but for the experience, the connections, the human stories that make travel such a valuable experience.

The race was clearly a test of resilience, but it was also a lesson in humility. We learned to ask for help, to trust others, and to see that goodness is everywhere, even in unfamiliar places. Kindness didn't just make the journey easier, it gave it meaning. It reminded us that people are more alike than they are different.

In the toughest times, when we were short of money and our spirits were low, it was not the planning or our strategy that got us through, but someone else's compassion. The kindness of strangers wasn't just part of our journey, it was central to it.

And maybe that's the real race around the world - seeing how far kindness can take us. It certainly took us further than we would ever have imagined