In a comeback which has already defied the odds, one of Australia‰Ûªs most decorated off-road racers Ben Grabham will realise a major career ambition when he rolls off the start line of the 2013 Dakar Rally on January 5.
For over 30 years the Dakar Rally has epitomised the toughest off-road racing challenge on the planet, and this year‰Ûªs 14-day, 8000-kilometre epic spanning Peru, Argentina and Chile is no exception.
Riders who sign up for the Dakar are of a special calibre, but HSE Motorex KTM Desert Racing Team rider Grabham is more special than most.
Less than nine months ago, the 31-year-old was seriously hurt while attempting a fourth win in the high-speed Condo 750 at Condoblin, when at 150kph he encountered a mob of kangaroos.
The subsequent crash left him with injuries including a broken spine and a punctured lung, but after months of intensive rehab and recovery work he surprised many by fronting the starter for the A4DE national enduro titles in late October.
A fourth in class and a solid top ten finish ticked off that part of the recovery, and suddenly the goal which he and KTM Australia had shared of competing in next year‰Ûªs Dakar was squarely back in the sights.
‰ÛÏDakar had always been the plan but when I found Skippy at Condo I thought that was over,‰Û
