Brothers dominate in extreme off-road challenge
According to Hendrik, riding motorbikes has been a passion he and his brother have shared since a very young age, and it was this passion which allowed them to form an unbreakable bond.
Every now and then we get to witness people from our little town achieve great things, and for brothers, Hendrik (29) and Paul (25) Grobler, this was one of those times.
The Newcastle born and raised brothers recently competed in, and dominated, one of the most difficult off-road motorcycle challenges the world has to offer; The Motul Roof of Africa (ROA) in the Kingdom of Lesotho, where Paul finished in third place and Hendrik finished sixth.
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Not only did they dominate the racetrack, they also broke the record for being the first brother duo to both finish in the top 10.
According to Hendrik, riding motorbikes has been a passion he and his brother have shared since a very young age, and it was this passion which allowed them to form an unbreakable bond.
“It has been a dream of ours to compete at the Roof of Africa after we saw the race around seven years ago. It was just something we knew we had to do, and we have been preparing for it financially and mentally ever since. Finally this year we decided this was the year we would compete, and I must say we are both very proud of what we achieved there,” said Hendrik.
Hendrik said their goal was to at least finish in the top 20, but they never dreamed they would do as well as they did, and for that they both felt extremely blessed. He said the ROA is known as the ‘mother of hard enduro’ which sees bikers battle the cruel side of Mother Nature over a period of three days and over a total of 316 kilometers, where they endure rough terrain, heavy winds and storms and injuries.
“On the last day I actually felt like giving up, but I was determined to make it so I just kept pushing through until I finally reached the finishline.”
Hendrik’s advice to aspiring bikers looking to compete in a race such as the ROA is to be prepared to sacrifice many things before entering the challenge.
“You need to be able to commit to this fully and you need to have the passion to endure the hardships during the race, because the pride you feel when you make it to the end is absolutely amazing. Also make sure you are mentally and physically ready before you compete.”
The brothers thanked everyone who helped them with sponsorships, as well as their family and friends who supported them.
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“A special thank you should be given to my wife, Lizelle, for her never-ending support. She has been my pit-crew and my biggest fan, and she has also sacrificed a lot to help me achieve my goals in life,” said Hendrik.
What is the Motul Roof of Africa?
The ROA is a race which began 51 years ago when Bob Phillips, a roads engineer, created it as a sports car club race track. However, it became too tough for car racing and it was then decided that only hardcore off-road motorcycles would be allowed to compete on the track.
Ever since then it has become a global phenomenon, where off-road bikers from across the world compete.
Hendrik also congratulated fellow Newcastillians who also competed and finished the race; Kevin Peters who finished in fourth place, and Jaco Dippenaar who finished 29th.
“This just shows what talent our town has, and how motivated our people are. Well done boys!” he concluded.
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