International motocross athlete Mohammed Jaffar has recently concluded his second attempt in as many years at the illustrious Dakar Rally. This year, he achieved his primary goal of completing the grueling race, which is no small feat by any means. We’ve been following Jaffar since his first attempt last year. Unfortunately, he was Unfortunately, Jaffar was injured in an accident while competing and had to be air lifted out of the competition.
Luckily he bounced back and started training again as soon as he could. “I was very happy to have another chance at Dakar.” Said the award-winning Kuwaiti rider after the race. He proudly crossed the finish line, in what was the culmination of nearly a year of preparation for him and his hardworking rally team. Upon his return to Kuwait, he made it clear that the annual rally, once again held this year in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was still at the top of his mind. “I already miss the Dakar life,” said Mohammed Jaffar, enthusiastically.
The Dakar Rally took place over the first half of January 2022, and Jaffar and his team focused all their efforts on bringing the champion motocross athlete to the finish line. Mohammed Jaffar and his entire crew worked extremely hard over the previous months to bring this goal to fruition. And with the success this year, it seems their revised strategy worked in their favor.
Jaffar had this to say on the long hours on the course, and the short nights of interrupted sleep. “It’s about how you adapt to constant and extreme stress and keeping my body and bike healthy for the upcoming day.” Jaffar said.
The excitement leading up to the start of the Dakar Rally was palpable, but Jaffar stayed true to the agreed strategy until the very end. He proceeded with confidence and caution from stage to stage, bearing in mind that the rally is famed for presenting last minute trail surprises and multiple hazardous terrains. This means that racers must react on the spot and in the moment, as they have no way of knowing what might lurk just ahead of their vision.
“It’s a long race that’s extremely tough on both the rider and the motorbike,” he said. “The Dakar Rally never gets easier.
Jaffar points to his previous attempt last year as an extremely valuable learning experience for him. He noted last year that his plethora of motocross experience across the GCC still included some blindspots. The terrain in Saudi Arabia was different from what he had expected, which he was also able to account for this time around.
“There is a high chance of faults when you consider all the types of terrain and changing weather in the many stages.” Said Mohammed Jaffar. “But I was both mentally and physically ready for it this year.”
Jaffar has said that he also hopes to return to the historic Dakar Rally next year. Mohammed Jaffar is a motocross athlete who lives and trains in Kuwait City, Kuwait. He is the founder of the Kuwait-based motorcycle academy, Moto School.
Stay up to date with Mohammed Jaffar by following @mo_jaffar_official on Instagram. For more information, please visit redbull.com and follow @RedBullKuwait on Instagram and Twitter.
