Every one of you is a shepherd, and every one of you is responsible for his flock.
Hadith, narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim
This is the moment the day becomes real. Four families meet as strangers, take hold of what they must carry, and discover that they cannot yet move.
The gathering sets the tone. Keep it calm, kind and a little unsettling.
At a glance
| Topic | In brief |
|---|---|
| When | The morning of the challenge, before the course begins |
| Where | The minibus, then the start area at the venue |
| The heart of it | Receiving what you carry, and working as a team before anyone can move |
On the minibus
The four teams travel together. It is the first time many of them will meet.
Let people talk, or sit quietly if they prefer. The driver can keep the mood gentle. Nothing needs to be staged.
Meeting the other teams
On arrival, offer water and a warm welcome. Then give each team a short moment together. A quiet dua before the start can help steady everyone.
The briefing
A marshal gives a short safety briefing for everyone. It should cover the course, the signals for calling help, and the right to stop at any time. Check that everyone has handed in any health forms and that no one needs medication to hand.
A few gentle stretches are sensible. They are not training, only care.
Receiving what you carry
Each person now receives their load.
| Who | What they carry |
|---|---|
| The wife | A realistic plastic baby doll, to care for and protect |
| The mother | A heavy cabin-style suitcase |
| The mother-in-law | A backpack |
| The son | Responsibility for all three women |
Every team receives the same, packed to the same agreed weight. Hand the doll over with care, as you would a real baby. Hold on to that sense of trust.
The team may swap loads when needed. But the doll, the suitcase and the backpack stay with the team throughout, and they must go through every obstacle just as the people do.
Safety note: in the challenge, the doll comes first. In real danger, people always come first. Nobody should risk injury for the doll or the luggage, and marshals may call a stop at any time.
The first tasks
The teams start together, but nobody can move properly until they have finished their first tasks. This is where cooperation begins, and where some teams will pull ahead.
Choose tasks that need the whole team, take only a few minutes and are safe to do. Here are some ideas.
- Repack the suitcase to match a list, within the agreed weight
- Work out a route from a simple hand-drawn map
- Wait in a line to receive instructions, with the whole team present
Keep the tasks fair, so that every team has the same conditions.
Setting off
When a team has finished, it may begin the course. Some will go quickly. Others will take longer, and that is fine. Great speed is unlikely with such a load.
Reflection
These questions suit a quiet moment before the start.
- What does it feel like to carry something you cannot put down?
- Who in your team is carrying the most right now?
- How will you notice when someone needs help?
When the last task is done, the team is free to go. Ahead lies the course.