indeed stressed yet , it would seem that the physical costs have been greatest .
“ Last May ( 2019 ) I snapped my neck ,” the father of three shrugs . “ And tore 90 % of my abdomen away from the pelvis .”
Matter of factually we chat about old ‘ war wounds ’, the lead up to Dakar has been tough however , Burgess sees this as a blessing as he ’ s been able to let his body decide on what is needed and therefore building a level of endurance strength he never previously considered working on .
“ We have had to be very cautious with how we have done things ,” he explains . “ Mainly a lot of mobility , strength conditioning .
“ Now I ’ m in a good place physically and have a strong foundation and believe my body will get through the Dakar .”
Chatting across the family dining table it ’ s easy to believe the conviction in the conversation , Burgess has an unassuming quality , he ’ s not quiet by any means , in fact it ’ s hard to stop him talking yet it ’ s conversation with ease , entertaining and informative .
At the core it ’ s easy to see why Burgess does get along with others , he ’ s accessible and builds rapport without effort . Little wonder that he has teamed with another
Australian , Andrew Houlihan ( featured in TRAVERSE issue 20 ), despite being in opposing rally teams . The pair have trained and competed together , developing each riders ’ short comings , and building on strengths . “ We get along great ,” Burgess suggests . “ We understand each other and what we are trying to achieve . “ It ’ s great to have someone around with his experience .
It ’ s great discussing logistics , what to pack and all that .”
And while Burgess draws from the experience of Houlihan there ’ s others that inspire and drive him forward , he listens , dissects and compiles a portfolio of what others have learned .
“ If I had to name one rider who inspires the most , it would be Ben Grabham ,” there ’ s an almost apologetic shrug , perhaps an admission of embarrassment that someone does standout . At this level it ’ s understandable but not dismissed .
Ben Grabham , known more commonly as Grabbo , is an undisputed legend of Australian racing . A multiple Finke , Condo and Australasian Safari winner , more accolades than most including running in the top ten of the 2014 Dakar before a crash ended that result . Grabbo knows what it means to sacrifice , to overcome adversity , it ’ s easy to see why there ’ s a level of admiration from Burgess .
TRAVERSE 31