On January 5th 2024, Dubliner Oran O’Kelly (30) will do something that less than 12 Irish athletes have ever done. Beneath the baking sun of Alula, Saudi Arabia, Oran will set off on his KTM Rally motorcycle for the first stage of the legendary Dakar Rally, 2024. Largely considered to be the world’s toughest motorsport event, The Dakar Rally spans over two weeks and covers a distance of over 9,000 kilometres – roughly the same distance as Dublin to Cape Town. The race is designed to be the ultimate test of both man and machine and has claimed the lives of dozens of competitors since its inception in 1979.
Words & Images: Oran O’Kelly Press Release
Oran will be entering the bike category, one of 4 categories in the race along with car, truck and buggy. With a total number of vehicles coming in around 300 every year, one-third of these are motorbikes. Each year sees thousands apply to be considered for entry into the race with only 100 of those being granted the honour to try their luck at the greatest off-road endurance race on the planet. Oran will be the first person in over 15 years to represent Ireland in the Dakar Rally. Oran raced competitively as a child, spurred on by his Dad John’s love of motorcycles but stepped away from it while at school and university before falling back into it when he moved to Dubai in 2020. Since then, he has thrown everything into his passion for off-road motorbike racing and endurance.
Since 2020, he has competed in six World Championship events. Most recently he clocked in his best finish yet with sixth place in the Dubai International Baja 2023, although still a weekend warrior and quite a way from the ultimate goal of making this his full-time profession. Chasing a dream on the weekends, juggling a career, and training Monday to Friday has brought a barrage of challenges but ones he has overcome time and again on his journey.
Oran has been forced to get creative in ways to raise funds to compete in such races which can cost as much as Є20,000 to enter. In September, he most recently hosted a successful event in Dublin’s Helix with Charley Boorman, which delivered an evening of talks with racing legends of the past and (with any bit of luck) the future. He has secured sponsorship from O’Driscoll’s Irish Whiskey, a brand that prides itself in its history based on the sea faring pirates off the West Coast of Ireland. Michael Stafford, Managing Director of Stafford Bonded said “The O’Driscoll’s Irish Whiskey is the spirit of bravery, daring and adventure and no sporting endeavour encapsulates these attributes more to us than the Dakar Rally. Oran’s commitment and persistence is to be commended and we look forward to following his epic journey across the sand dunes in January”.
In order to gain some first-hand knowledge of Dakar himself. He volunteered with a team last year doing menial tasks and low-level labour to get insight into what it takes to prepare and be competitive at such a mammoth event. He has stopped at nothing to learn and gain as much top-level experience as possible. Sacrifice has come at almost every turn in pursuit of this dream of racing full-time. Almost four years ago, Oran sold his car valeting business which he had built from the ground up in order to fund training, equipment, and race entry fees. He has also relocated himself to Dubai to focus on making this dream a reality. For his day job, Oran is a qualified High-Performance Psychologist graduating with a Masters from UL in 2019. He believes researching and studying areas of visualisation, attentional focus, and skill acquisition has helped propel his motorsport career. Juggling his workload with training for Dakar, Oran works with a range of athletes and corporations supporting them with evidence-based programs and techniques to maximise their full potential.
Oran said of the challenge that he faces; “The Dakar Rally has just over a 40% completion rate. For many riders, simply getting across the finish line is an enormous achievement. I will be tested both mentally and physically with extreme temperatures on both sides of the scale from freezing conditions to searing heat often exceeding 40 Celsius. The route takes riders across some of the most challenging off-road terrain on the planet – from the highest mountains to the most perilous of sand dunes but I feel confident in my bike and in myself”.
He has left no stone unturned in his preparation for the 2024 Dakar Rally. Everything from physical fitness and navigation training to psychological endurance and bike maintenance to give him the best chance to compete with the elite in motorsport. The demands of the rally are a complex juggling act of behemoth proportions, trying to complete an Ironman level event everyday whilst racing a bike at speeds up to 160 kph. All the while navigating distances ranging as far as 1000 kilometres per day.
For Oran, he will be stepping into the unknown, fearlessly going where so few Irish people have gone before him and all with his signature smile and undeniable positive nature in his determination to live this dream. From January 5th – 19th 2024, he will go toe to toe with the very best motorsport athletes from across the globe and boldly show them what an Irishman can achieve.
