Living his wildest dream in tough Dakar rally
BY DANNY DE VAAL
MOTORCYCLIST Oran O’kelly is celebrating his “wildest dreams” coming true after completing the gruelling Dakar Rally.
Oran, 30, told the Irish Mirror: “It was incredibly tough and challenging.
“I spent an enormous amount of time, really the guts of four years preparing for it to get everything set up.
“But then when it actually came to it, it was even tougher than it was supposed to be.
“I was hit by a car at one point and I had to just pick myself up and keep going.
“The competitiveness of the race between the cars and the bikes sometimes can get a bit rough and physical.
“But I just had to get back on the bike and finish. I was a bit battered and bruised. But that’s the nature of the event.”
The Dakar has a completion rate of
just 50% but Dubliner Oran managed to finish in 57th place.
This year it took place in Saudi Arabia with participants having to cover more than 9,000 kilometres.
Oran said: “It was a huge, huge childhood dream.
“I fantasised about it a lot but I think when I became a teenager.
“I realised how ludicrous and wild the whole idea was and had long put it to bed. But then a few situations aligned.
“I moved out to Dubai three years ago to chase this passion.
“I had a small business in Dublin, but I managed to sell it and went all in on this childhood dream.”
Asked what his message to people is, Oran said: “A lot of people’s wildest dreams are really not that far away once there is a lot of commitment and a lot of follow through.”
I was hit by a car at one point and I had to just pick myself up ORAN O’KELLY ON THE CHALLENGES OF RALLY