Lawrence Dodi and Rachel Nixon had no plans to buy an ambulance and set a world record. They were just an ordinary couple from the UK who only planned to travel the world using a camper van. But everything changed when they came across this ambulance sold on eBay. They were only looking for a vehicle that could be converted into a camper van, but, as Dodi tells the story, they "fell in love with the ambulance and the aesthetics." And so the couple, who are both veterinarians, bought it.
Nixon then stumbled across an article about a group trying to set a record for the longest distance driven in a fire truck. This piqued her interest, and she wondered if they could do the same record, too, albeit in an ambulance. When she discovered no one dared to do that yet, she and her boyfriend contacted Guinness World Record to ask if they could try. The organization approved.
After meeting a bunch of specifications required for setting the record (such as the vehicle retaining its capabilities to function as an ambulance and still resembling one from the outside), the couple finally set off on their journey on October 2021. The couple also brought their Springer spaniel dog, Peggy Sue, along with them.
Since they departed from the UK, the couple has now traveled 24,000 kilometers (a little over 14,900 miles) across 24 countries. While they have already achieved Guinness's minimum set distance of 20,000 kilometers, they don't plan to stop yet. They plan on setting "the highest figure possible."
(Image Credit: Lawrence Dodi)