2nd Rallye in competition mode

For this 28^th edition of the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc, Carole and Dounia are representing northern Morocco. For Carole, a Frenchwoman living in Tanger, this is her second Rallye. “Last year, my team finished 90^th, it was all about learning. This year, I’m in competition mode.” Carole likes to point out that she is competing with a champion. Dounia is a regular, with 11 Rallyes under her belt and a strong performance in 2015, earning her a 5th-place finish.

The Tanjaouiates, as they call themselves, are doing the Rallye together for the first time this year. But it was meant to be… “Mektoub”, as they say in Morocco. Carole met Dounia’s daughter at the Rallye. “I called her to ask her to do it with me, but she told be she was pregnant. So I’m doing it with her mother, which is even better! We already know each other, we did the navigation training together. And anyway, when you form a real team you can feel it right away.” As Dounia is using her own vehicle, a 4X4 Toyota FJ Cruiser, the budget was easier to come up with. “We stuck lots of ‘hands of Fatma’ on it to bring luck.”

Dounia is the navigator and Carole the driver, roles they have always had at the Rallye. This year, the two Gazelles are here to compete. They aim to finish in the top fifteen. To do so, they helped increase their chances with appropriate physical preparation. “I wanted to strengthen my trapezius and abdominals, because 12 to 14 hours of driving every day is hard on the back. So I hired a sports coach to design a specific training program,” observes Carole. As for Dounia, she chose yoga to improve her mental strength and concentration. “The Rallye is very demanding, especially when you’re tired from long days and getting up at 4 o’clock every morning. I’m going to do everything I can to keep up with my champion. One of the strengths of this rally is the ability to combine types, levels and nationalities.”