Saudi racer Dania Akeel is living in the fast lane. She recently won the T3 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas in her first participation, with a winning formula of concentration, perseverance, and luck.
Despite her great passion for cars, Akeel never expected to have a successful career as professional motorsport athlete. However, fate had other plans. The story began when Saudi Arabia hosted Dakar Rally. The Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) worked hard to encourage women to take part in the races, and Akeel was invited to take part in the Eastern Baja Rally, which, to her luck, was one of the rounds of the FIA Bajas World Cup.
“I was among the ten competitors in that race, and the only one in the T3 category. Since it was my first participation, my goal was merely to reach the finish line; and that’s exactly what I did,” Akeel explains.
Akeel then participated in the Jordan Baja, where the same scenario repeated itself. She was the only racer in the T3 category, and successfully secured 25 additional points. “After that, I was encouraged by the contestants and the SAMF to proceed to compete in the World Cup, especially since the conditions were in my favour, and I managed to get a good score.”
The winner of the T3 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas is selected based on overall point scores in all rounds. So Dania competed in Hungary, Poland and Italy, with the same goal in mind to finish the race and claim more points. She adds, “It was my debut, and I was not convinced that I was able to compete with seasoned high-speed racers. So, I did my best to get to the finish line in all races, regardless of speed.”
Akeel finished second in the Hungarian Baja, while she secured 3rd and 4th places in Baja Poland and Baja Italy, respectively. During these races, she collected enough points to win the T3 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas.
She attributes her achievement to perseverance, patience and diligence, as her only aim was to finish the race. Although she didn’t expect to win the gold, Akeel aspired to finish the race so she could learn, mature and develop in this sport. She admits, “I wasn’t competing with other racers, rather I was challenging myself.”
The rally track extends on uncharted roads across the host country, and this is where the difficulty lies. Driving in the desert was the main challenge in KSA and Jordan; while rocks, stones, bumps and plateaus were the biggest challenge in Hungary. In Poland, the roads were slippery and the vehicle was difficult to control. The biggest difficulty in Italy was driving at night amidst the fog and with poor visibility.
She explains, “All challenges are posed by nature; adapting to the natural settings, the challenges it poses, and ways to overcome them is one of the main pillars of this sport.”
On the other hand, high physical fitness is also essential to the sport, which is why Akeel maintains her condition through cardio exercise, whether cycling, running or swimming. Yoga can also help to enhance body flexibility.
She adds, “I mentally prepare myself by not expecting anything from the track, and I try as much as possible to have a clear mind and avoid projecting my expectations on the track before the race.”
When it came to the obstacles during the races, Akeel recalls an incident she faced in Jordan Baja, where she could not see beyond the dunes and the path was full of rocks. She decided to turn around the dune, and it turned out to be the right call. She recalls, “Sometimes you have to listen to this intuition that tells you to wait.”
And that’s not all Akeel has learned. “This sport changes your perception of your abilities, inner strength and determination,” she explains, noting that it has also shaped her outlook. “This sport is very social, just interacting with people and building confidence with them in terms of your safety will change your personality and make you more social and alert.”
In her family home of Jeddah, Akeel’s mother was the first woman in the Red Sea city to acquire a driver’s licence, while Akeel herself was among the first ten women to obtain one in the city.
“It’s as if fate wanted my mother to obtain the first licence in Jeddah, especially given her father had the first car dealership in the Kingdom, Haji Husein Alireza & Co,” she reveals.
In January, the cross-country driver will participate in the Dakar Rally, and she has already begun preparations, exercises and courses on how to drive in the desert “so that [she] gets used to driving on the Saudi track”. Other women are competing in the rally and Akeel believes this may ease the pressure on her.
She concludes: “In the end I will drive according to my abilities and commit to the limits that I set for myself.” We can’t wait to follow Dania Akeel’s adventures.
Follow Dania Akeel on Instagram at @dania.akeel.
