Joey Evans is a South African adventurer, motivational speaker, and author, best known for completing the grueling Dakar Rally after a paralyzing motorcycle accident. His journey from being told he might never walk again to becoming a Dakar finisher is a story of incredible resilience. 

His story

• Paralyzing accident: In 2007, a motorcycle racing accident left Evans with a crushed spinal cord and paralyzed from the chest down. Doctors gave him only a 10% chance of walking again.
• Decade-long recovery: After years of intensive rehabilitation, Evans regained the ability to walk. He then set his sights on competing in the Dakar Rally, the world’s toughest off-road race.
• Dakar Rally 2017: In 2017, ten years after his accident, Evans entered the Dakar Rally. On the second-to-last day, his bike was destroyed by a rally car. Through ingenuity and help, he was able to continue and became the only South African biker to finish the race that year. 

Post-Dakar career

• Motivational speaker: Since his rally finish, Evans has become an internationally sought-after speaker, sharing his story of overcoming adversity, building resilience, and setting goals. He has spoken in over 50 countries.
• Author: Evans is the bestselling author of From Para to Dakar: Overcoming Paralysis and Conquering the Dakar Rally, which chronicles his remarkable journey.
• Philanthropy: As an ambassador for the Adaptive Sports Fund, he works to provide extreme sports opportunities for people with spinal cord injuries.
• Other races and adventures: In addition to the Dakar, Evans has competed in other demanding events, including the Africa Eco Race, and has ridden motorcycles across numerous countries on six continents