Thixton reaches ‘Promised Land’ at Dakar Rally
IT’S mission accomplished!
What a performance and what emotions! It was firmly written in the stars and it finally came to fruition yesterday when Zimbabwean motorbike rider Ashley Thixton realised his childhood dream of competing and lasting the distance at the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia.
It doesn’t get bigger than this: Ashley Thixton lasting the full distance at Dakar 2024.
All Thixton had to do yesterday was finish the stage and he did that successfully to become the second Zimbabwean motorbike rider to complete the full distance of the tough twoweek Dakar Rally after Graeme Sharp, who achieved this feat in 2020.
And Thixton was overcome with emotions as he shed tears of joy in his post-race interview at the finish line in the Saudi city of yanbu yesterday.
He actually came 20th in the 12th and final stage yesterday for an overall position of 32 in the bikes section of the 2024 Dakar Rally.
“It’s very emotional for me. A lot went into this (the 2024 Dakar Rally finishers medal).
“Being here it’s a dream come true. It’s really is something that means a lot . . . It’s not easy to get but now I’ve got it.
“I had the privilege of doing it, the privilege of putting myself through it, having people following it with me. “I’ve got it solid (the Dakar medal) and no one can take it away from me. The final stage today was awesome, I couldn’t hold it back but I had to open up and had to slow down at the end,” Thixton said. And this is a monumental moment in the history of motorsport and sport in general in Zimbabwe.
This phenomenal achievement has seen Thixton becoming one of the Dakar immortals and moreover he is now a Zimbabwean motorsport legend.
He, in fact, is now a Zimbabwean sporting hero, who deserves a place among a number of male and female athletes who have raised the country’s flag with distinction since the attainment of Independence in April 1980.
Although yesterday’s achievement by Thixton is nowhere near swimming icon Kirsty Coventry’s achievements at the Olympic Games, this should definitely be rated among the greatest ones for the archives.
In motorsport, Thixton has joined the class of retired motor rally driver Jamie Whyte and his co-driver Phil Archenoul who won the African Championship back-to-back in 2009 and 2010. And there’s also Mano Zevgolis who has been a dominant force in the local drag racing, main circuit racing and 3-Hour Endurance Race events. Thixton has emulated his close friend Graeme Sharp who achieved this feat in 2020 when the Dakar Rally was moved to Saudi Arabia.
And Thixton is now in the good company of local motorsport heroes and legends after his memorable outing at this year’s Dakar Rally in the Saudi dunes. yesterday, Thixton turned miles into smiles as he showed some nerves of steel, just like what he did during the whole course of the 12-stage Dakar Rally, to steer his Husqvarna 450R bike home in the 12th and final stage without any qualms.
The brave Zimbabwean biker punched the air with delight as he crossed the finish line where he was met by his equally excited father and mentor, Trevor, who was by his side throughout the whole journey of the 2024 Dakar Rally which began on January 5 in the Saudi city of AlUlah.
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