A doctor competing on the BBC series Race Across The World has tearfully expressed guilt over her father's death from Covid-19. Puja, who works in emergency medicine, shared the emotional story during the latest episode of the show.
While at an animal sanctuary in Turkey on her birthday, Puja said she missed her family and recalled her father's death four years ago. She described how the pandemic 'changed everything' after she finished medical school and began working in emergency medicine.
In December 2021, Puja contracted Covid-19 and self-isolated at home. Her father later became unwell and was hospitalised. She said: 'I felt a lot of guilt because in my mind I brought Covid home, I put him in this situation and it was my fault. I still struggle with that.'
Puja's cousin Roshni, a software engineer and her racing partner, consoled her. The pair were the first to be eliminated from the series after arriving last at the checkpoint.
The race covers over 12,000km from Palermo, Italy, to Mongolia, with contestants living on £26 per day. Siblings Katie and Harrison currently lead the competition.
