Mount Pleasant Magazine Sept/Oct 2016

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“It’s the hardest off-road race in the world,” said Vlcek,
reflecting on Dakar 2017. “But it’s definitely a bucket-list
goal for me. I’ll just be stoked to finish, but placing in the
top 50 to 100 would be great.”
Dakar not only takes a toll on the riders but on the
bikes as well. That’s why Vlcek keeps tools handy, in case
he has to stop to deal with mechanical problems. The race
path isn’t marked out, which adds a whole other element
to this off-
road excur-
sion. He
also carries
three liters
of drink-
ing water,
along with
a CamelBak
filled with
nutrient-rich
minerals to
prevent de-
hydration. In
addition to the racers, seven airplanes and 10 helicopters,
carrying 6,500 meals and 12,000 bottles of water, inhabit
the sky miles above the competitors.
In addition to trying to eat right and work out at the
gym, Vlcek will take a trip to Colorado in order to ac-
climate to the high altitude of Bolivia, one of race’s stops.
Pushing your body to the limit is one thing. Pushing your
body to the limit at a whopping 4,000 meters above sea
level is quite another.
“I’m fulfilling a lifetime dream,” said Vlcek. “You only
live once.”
He credits the outpouring of community support he
has received with helping him reach this incredible goal.
“I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank my wife, Caroline, my
family, Stokes Automotive, Red Drum Restaurant, Fender
Mender, 3 Dudes Band, Premier Fitness, Channels of
Charleston, Ryno Power, Carolina KTM, Battery Off
Road Park, Spy Optics, Dr. Todd Overdorf with Integra-
tive Health Solutions and all the local families and friends
who have been supporting this dream for the past several
years,” said Vlcek.
While he has seen fellow riders overcome by injury and
illness and forced to abandon races before reaching the fin-
ish line, fear is not his enemy.
“There are times when you are totally exhausted, beat
up and questioning what you are even doing,” said Vlcek.
“But then you remember why you are there. You push
through. You keep going.”
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