It was a beautiful sunny day with a team from Uganda Uncovered when I experienced such an interesting adventure at Extreme Adventure Park in Busiika. Initially, I was excited to be there, not so much for go-karting and point ball, but it was my first time at the park.
Once we reached the Go-Karting venue, I realized I was among the people in the group for who this was the first such experience with the sport- Go-Karting So, I listened carefully to all the rules and instructions. Since we had booked before and it was a weekday (Monday), the place was not crowded.
Because I know how to drive a four-wheeler, it just took me seconds to get used to the truck to the extent of driving with a single hand on the steering wheel, at least on the straight stretch of the track. Then I realized that I was having a good time, which eventually reflected in my scores.
It was a kind of on-the-job training, that too while in a competition with my colleagues ( Michael and Thembo).
Although, Michael was the first person to be set off, the most interesting moment was when I overtook him. He tried to insist but I was more confident and strategic until when he allowed the defeat.
At the finishing line, I merged first, followed by Michael and Thembo respectively. We all were very happy with the whole team’s outing experience as well as our achievements. We were exhausted and hungry but indeed it was a fantastic day!
Lessons Learned:
1. Steering Wheel: I understood – there is a difference between car driving and Go-Karting; the Steering Wheel is more smooth in cars than the Karts.
2. Forward Only: You can go forward only. If you get stuck the Marshals come and rescue (pull your Kart back and place it on the track to continue).
3. Safety first: Follow all safety rules while choosing your gear. The flying helmet incident taught me to wear a right-sized helmet. As a driver, you should feel safe and comfortable with your gear and the clothes you wear.
4. Right Braking: Where-not-to-apply-brakes is very crucial. I was careful not to hit the side fence and followed so-called lanes by applying brakes at almost all corner places well in advance. By the end of the round, I understood where and how much to apply the brake and where to speed up.
5. Managing weight: When you are going with a nice speed while turning, the weight shift happens. Jovie Lumu, the games supervisor at the park suggested that moving away from the turn helps balance the weight. I tried and it helped. It’s a bit counter-intuitive. However, if you are aware, you can acquire this skill.
6. Loosen up and enjoy the drive: This is important as part of learning the Go-Karting. If you want to enjoy both the competition and your own driving experience, you should be able to relax yourself and have fun while driving.
On the other hand, with the paintball game together with my colleagues, we were allowed to bring our buddies and tussle it out on the paintball field, where we divided into two teams, each with eight members.
I was selected as the captain of team two (the worriers) and Michael Turyakira for team one hoping to take revenge after I had defeated him in the go-karting race.
The instructors excited us through the different options of games, and for safety, we were provided with overalls, helmets, and chest guards.
To win the game, a member had to grab another team’s flag that was plugged at the end of the field without being shot with any paintball.
After both of the team members stepped around their respective flags, the instructor blew a whistle and the game started.
As a captain, I allocated my team to defend our flag as well as grab our opponent’s flag. So I spearheaded the attack with a backup of my fellow team member (Emmanuel Mawejje) who played a great role in protecting me, and finally, I grabbed their flag, hence winning the game.
It was indeed a great moment to end the day being a champion in both activities (go-karting and paintball) at the extreme adventure park in Busiika.
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