Sport and values

My name is Isidre Esteve and, as some of you may already know, I'm one of those motorcyclists that people watch on TV, riding across the deserts and savannahs of Africa, in other words, enjoying the great adventure of the Dakar. But behind the images we see as spectators during the competition there is also sacrifice, determination to succeed and the suffering of the hours of training, and behind each sports star there is a whole team of people who are often never seen.

I am from a small village in Lleida called Oliana, better known for its reservoir than its sporting tradition. No-one had ever devoted themselves to any sport in my family but, from when we were very young, our parents instilled in us the culture of work and effort; we all contributed to the family's income and we all had to earn our own keep. My first contact with the world of bike racing came about because my parents, as we lived quite a long way out of the village, recommended that I get a small motorbike to be able to go to school. Although, at that time, I only saw it as a mode of transport, I gradually discovered its magic.

A motorbike race is held close to where I lived, which was already a classic, the Enduro del Segre. I remember I always used to like watching the riders. In them I saw freedom, enjoyment in what they were doing; I saw their riding outfits, helmets, boots, motorbikes that didn't seem to have any limits... I admired them. After the race, a lot of them would come to the restaurant at our house to build up their strength. So I had to serve them lunch and, in the meantime, I used to listen to their anecdotes about the race... I wanted to be one of them, if only for a day.

Although I had to argue long and hard with my family (in a family business everyone is needed and there's no time for yourself, and even less to enter races!), the time finally came and, with the help of some friends and the promise to return home in time to serve lunch, I made my dream come true and took part in the race. I don't know if it was luck or my hurry to get home quickly and not to make my parents angry, but the fact is I won the race and from that point on everything happened very quickly.

When I was eighteen and could take decisions for myself, I started to train seriously for competition. Although I was not able to devote one hundred percent of my time to it because I had to help at home, we did come to an agreement with the family so that I could manage to juggle everything.

I've always been a special sports person, to be able to achieve what others did, I had to train a lot more because I was small and did not have as much talent, because I had to travel long distances to other municipalities, because we did not have a gym or a pool in my village. But I did not mind at all because I started to earn money doing what I had always dreamed of doing since I was little. It was not a sacrifice having to ride for hours and hours to be able to improve my riding technique, nor having to do tough gym sessions to get into better physical shape so that I would be able to dominate the bike and the competition. I was battling for what I wanted most, and it was worth it! I think that, when something costs you so much and you sacrifice so much for it, when you finally achieve it, you learn how to enjoy each moment of it, you value it and you enjoy it much more.

Finally, after a lot of negotiations and help, I was able to make another dream come true, taking part in the Dakar. For me this race has been like a school, it has taught me so many things that I will never be able to forget. Discovering the African continent, its country, its smells, its colours and particularly its people, made me see things in a different way and this has marked me for life. There people have nothing, they live with what is essential for survival, a large majority of them don't even have running water or electricity, or a car, or a fridge full of food… But, if you ask, they will give you the little they have. They are generous and, even though they are hungry, they smile. Although they have to walk many kilometres to get water, they are in no hurry, they do not need a watch and they laugh at us when they see how stressed we are. They do not understand. When they are sure they have enough food and drink for the day, they enjoy it and share it, they know that tomorrow the sun will rise just the same and that today the world will not end.

While you are taking part of the race, you are distanced from everything and you look at things from a different perspective. How can we complain when they cut off our water? Why do we get so wound up when our mobile battery runs out? How can we spend hours and hours shut up inside a car in a traffic jam? How come we are reaching the point where our computer breaks down and we become useless? Are we really the first world? I think we are the first world in depending on things; Africans are the first world in enjoying everything that has real meaning.

The world of sport has also taught me another important lesson. A sports person, a rider in my case, would not get very far without his or her team. In races like the Dakar you realise that each member of your team (and there were a lot in mine) is fundamental to the success of the team. If the driver of the spares truck does not arrive on time, the mechanic that has to get the bike in tip-top shape for the next stage cannot do their work. And if the mechanic is able to work on the bike, tomorrow it will be practically as good as new and will be sure to handle the ride well. If I have a puncture in the middle of a stage, I'll need my “backpacker” to get to me quickly to help out. If I end up injured or I fall, I will need the physio to help me recover and be able to race the next day. To tackle the stage safely, I have to study it with my manager, who will coordinate the work of the team on the ground, etc.

What is true is that, if you achieve your goal, it is down to the work done by everyone. And the more united a team is, the better the outcome. If you are successful, you enjoy it more because it is shared, and if you are not victorious, the disappointment is less because a good atmosphere cushions it.

Sometimes it is easy to become vain and think that you are the best, that you have it all, that you do not need anyone. That is when you start to relax, you stop working so hard, you push those who have always helped you to one side, you stop appreciating what you have and forget how hard it is to achieve... Then it is very easy for the dream to end.