From Dad to Dakar: Alex Torrão Is Chasing the Dream of a Lifetime

Photo Credit: Alex Torrão | Supplied

Most childhood dreams fade with time. Alex Torrão’s only got bigger, and on this week’s Good Things with Brent Lindeque, he shares what it takes to chase the Dakar Rally while balancing family, business and an unwavering belief in what’s possible.

Johannesburg, South Africa (15 July 2026) – The Dakar Rally is one of the toughest motorsport challenges on the planet, a brutal test of endurance and determination that very few people will ever attempt. For Alex Torrão, however, getting to that start line is not just a motorsport goal… it’s the dream of a young boy who grew up and decided that making our dreams come true could be one of the most important things we do!

On this week’s Good Things with Brent Lindeque, I sit down with Alex to talk about his incredible #DAD2DAKAR journey, the work happening behind the scenes and what it really takes to chase a dream this big while balancing business, family and being a dad to three daughters. We’ve written about Alex and his Dakar dream before but chatting with him in person is something else entirely. His energy is infectious, his story is deeply inspiring and, somewhere in the middle of hearing him talk about training sessions, international rallies and the road ahead… you start thinking about your own dreams too.

“It’s not about winning Dakar. It’s about getting to the start line knowing I never gave up on something I’ve dreamed about since I was young.”

Raised between South Africa, Portugal and Macau, Alex’s love for motorcycles started early while riding through rural Portugal. Dakar could easily have become one of those childhood dreams spoken about in the past tense, but instead, Alex made the decision to seriously pursue it later in life, while still juggling the very real responsibilities of fatherhood and work.

One moment, he is doing school runs and spending time with his daughters, the next, he is navigating demanding terrain during rally events in Botswana or somewhere else on the planet. His preparation has already included major races such as the FIM South African Safari Rally, the Giants Adventure Rally Botswana and the Fenek Rally Morocco, with an ambitious 2026 calendar taking him to Argentina, Morocco and the Africa Eco Race as part of his carefully mapped-out journey towards Dakar.

But #DAD2DAKAR has become about so much more than motorcycles and rally racing, it’s about showing his children that life does not stop when adulthood gets busy, and that family responsibilities and personal dreams do not have to cancel each other out.

Alex’s dream is a reminder for all of us that we are allowed to dream… but more than that, we have the ability to do something with those dreams. To take the first step, make the plan, put in the work and slowly turn the thing we once imagined into something real.

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