Women participating in motorsports are more common today than ever, but what could possibly inspire a 50-year-old, mother of two, to compete in a motorcycle rally across the Moroccan dessert? Brigitte Lacombe will be the only North American woman motorcycle rider who will attempt to complete the 16th Edition of Trophée Roses des Sabales, a 100% female rally, to be held October 12th-23rd, 2016. The event is for charity and every year several tons of equipment and supplies are delivered to the disadvantaged children of Morocco.

Brigitte has been preparing herself to be in top physical and mental condition for the event. “I am a single mother of two, and I’ve been riding motorcycles for only two years. I’m very determined!”- Brigitte Lacombe. Many aspects of the rally are taken straight from Dakar- the route, navigation via road-book, and mandatory check points. However, the Trophée Roses des Sables is not a speed race, but rather an orientation race. This sets the stage for participants to compete amongst themselves while lessening the risk of injury due to high-speed crashes.

Often referred to at events as the “Rose KTM Rider” and equipped with her custom Roses des Sables color clad KTM 350 EXC-F, Brigitte has been attending rally meets and rides to train for the Trophée, even attending riding schools taught by pro’s, like Dakar legend, Jimmy Lewis. “I want to inspire my children, so they know that when they take action, everything is possible.”

The philosophy of the Trophée is to allow any woman to participate in an international competition. While several hundred will attend, only a fraction will be traversing by motorcycle. When asked why she wanted to compete in the rally, Brigitte replied, “For a good cause, for the trip, to inspire my children, and because it’s crazy and I like it.” RoseKTM.Trophee-Roses-des-Sables.org