Team 233: “Worth experiencing once in your life”

TEAM 233

The two cousins wanted to mark their 40th birthdays by celebrating them in Morocco. The 40th birthdays came and went, but the idea remained in the back of their minds. They requested the Information Guide and attended an information meeting in Paris in October 2015. “That’s when we decided we really wanted to do the Rallye.”

The same goal

The Gazelles from Normandy had already been to Morocco, but only in the big cities. “We wanted to experience this adventure, to throw ourselves into the void. We’re dreaming of sleeping on a dune under the stars. It’s amazing to discover the country this way. But the most important thing is to share the same goal. In our case it’s clear; we’re here to meet people, enjoy the scenery, and follow the rules of the Rallye.”

For their first Rallye, something else was also clear: “Anyway, we wanted to do it together, we wouldn’t have done it with anyone else. And I understand why it’s so important to have the right teammate after seeing how tough it is. You have to really trust each other. We’ve always been close, since childhood.”

Specialists in improvisation

The preparation was difficult. They managed to find 30 partners but put off the project till 2018. “Today, we still haven’t found all the budget. We’re specialists in improvisation. We forgot to take out personal insurance and managed to do it in Nice just before the official start.” 

After moving mountains for more than two years, they were finally able to confront the famous Merzouga dunes. “Driving all this distance after just one off-road driving training course, having never driven a 4×4… we discovered everything in the space of a month and a half. I didn’t have many expectations of how it would go. I told myself, we’ll see, and now I see… It’s hard but it’s worth experiencing once in your life. And the Holy Grail will be the parade on the beach in Essaouira.”

Cœur de Gazelles, an emotional moment

Sandra and Sonia also got to visit Cœur de Gazelles during Leg 1: “We found it very emotional, very intense. We almost felt like crying. Especially as I’m a nurse, so I understand the need to provide medical care for these communities.”

They quickly saw that everything goes very fast at the Rallye: “I was excited about the dunes, I like driving in the sand. But we got stuck just 500 metres off the bivouac. It took us 2 hours to get out. I can’t wait to hear the silence of the desert and I feel like coming back to sleep in a Berber camp. It makes me want to re-read The Alchemist or The Little Prince.”