Race2Recovery team completes Dakar

The 2013 Dakar Rally saw history created as Race2Recovery, the group of predominantly injured soldiers who formed a rally team to raise funds for Forces charities, became the first ever disability team to complete the world’s toughest race. The team’s Land Rover Defender-based Wildcat race vehicle, running on Cooper Tire’s Discoverer STT, and its crew of driver Major Matt O’Hare and co-driver Corporal Phillip Gillespie, crossed the finish line of the final stage in Santiago, Chile on Saturday evening, ending two weeks of racing that saw the team’s other three Wildcat vehicles fall out of the race.

Major O’Hare, 32, originally from Hereford and currently based in Earlsfield, London, said: “It’s not quite sinking in that we’ve actually done it. I’m ecstatic and am so proud and pleased for the whole Race2Recovery team. Our mechanics and support team have kept us in the race and their work and dedication was second to none. Our other drivers and co-drivers who were forced to retire earlier in the race became an integral part of the support team as we continued the challenge and so this really is a team success. To complete the Dakar Rally is an incredible achievement in itself, but to become the first ever disability team to cross that finish line lifts the achievement to a whole other level.”

Corporal Phillip Gillespie, 24, from Ballymena, Northern Ireland, who is a leg amputee as a result of injuries sustained in Afghanistan, said: “We have found out first-hand why they call the Dakar Rally the hardest race in the world. It has pushed every single one us to our limits and beyond. To be able to stand here at the finish line and say we achieved what we set out to achieve, to become the first ever disability team to complete the Dakar Rally, feels magical. Our team motto is ‘beyond injury – achieving the extraordinary’ and we’ve done just that. I hope that we’ve been able to inspire people who may be facing difficulties through injury or illness. The support we’ve received from everyone – our sponsors, supporters, families, friends, the military and complete strangers – has been amazing and is testament to the ability and dedication of this team.”

Race2Recovery team manager, Warrant Officer Andrew Taylor, 40, who suffered a serious back injury after being caught in a suicide bomb attack during active service in the Royal Army Medical Corps, said: “The support that this team has received, from back home and also from the people of Peru, Argentina and Chile, has been first class. People from all over the world have been sending messages of support to the team and the closer we got to the finish the more these messages flooded in. The Race2Recovery challenge really seems to have captured the imagination of the public and we can’t thank everyone enough. One of our biggest aims has been to raise money for Tedworth House Personnel Recovery Centre. Many of our team members, their families and people we know have benefitted from the recovery process that supports our country’s injured servicemen and women. I would urge anyone that has followed our team, and is celebrating its success, to visit our website and make a donation to this fantastic cause.”

Captain Tony Harris, 31, one of Race2Recovery’s rally drivers who is a below the knee amputee as a result of injuries suffered while serving in Afghanistan, said: “To be standing here in Santiago knowing we’ve finished, two weeks after starting out on this epic journey, feels absolutely brilliant. The team have shown huge dedication, going without sleep and putting in some serious hours of hard work, whether as the drivers, co-drivers or support team. We’re also very mindful that three of our members weren’t able to follow the whole journey with us after being injured in a road traffic accident earlier on the event. We’re very grateful that they have all made a good recovery but our thoughts have always been with those others involved in the accident who were less fortunate and our sympathy remains with their families.”

The Race2Recovery team’s four Wildcat race vehicles took to the start line in Lima, Peru on the morning of Saturday 5 January, signalling the start of 15 days of racing 9000km over extreme mountain and desert terrain. The first car eliminated from the race was that of Captain Tony Harris and his co-driver Cathy Derousseaux, who were disqualified after they did not pass sufficient way points on Stage 2 after having experienced mechanic issues during that stage. A few days later, the race car of driver Justin Birchall and co-driver Corporal Tom Neathway was forced to retire after mechanical issues caused by a particularly punishing Stage 4 that saw a host of other vehicles also retire. On Stage 6, the third car of driver Ben Gott and co-driver US Marine SSgt Mark Zambon hit a ditch at speed and rolled. Whilst they avoided any serious injury the damage to the car meant they were unable to continue the race.

However, the team’s Wildcat vehicle ‘Joy’, donated to the team by the Peter Harrison Foundation and named after Peter’s wife, Joy, who sadly passed away in September last year, remained firmly in the race. Suffering from some over-heating problems during the first half of the rally, the team were regularly forced to do more of their driving at night. However, the team’s mechanics were able to do major work to the vehicle on the event rest day, fixing a number of issues and enabling Major O’Hare and Corporal Gillespie to make great progress through the second week.

 The Race2Recovery team has rapidly risen to become a fully functioning rally raid team in only 18 months. Originally beginning their campaign with one Land Rover Freelander and a handful of members, the team now totals 28 people with four Wildcat race vehicles and fleet of support vehicles including a 4×4 truck that will race the course in order to support the race cars, plus 8×8 support trucks and a number of Land Rover Discovery vehicles to help move the support team and mechanical equipment. 

Race2Recovery is backed by a number of high-profile sponsors including Land Rover, Google, Bosch, Orange Plant and MIS Motorsport. The team also received Royal backing when, in November, it became the first ever recipient of a grant from the Endeavour Fund, set up by the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. The team was also joined in South America by Gaucho Productions, who were capturing all the drama and adventure for a forthcoming documentary series – to be screened on TV soon.