When he isn’t raising a storm in the desert, Mohammed Abu Issa spends
his time diving, sailing and travelling. He also enjoys doing business and
tells Aney Mathew he is currently working on two mobile applications!
It is said, “There’s a little child in each one of us and all too often, we forget to let that child out to play.” Well luckily for Mohammed Abu Issa, the child in him not only gets to play out a lot, but he has managed to make a professional out of that child.
From playing and racing with quad bikes as a little boy, Mohammed is today a professional quad bike racer with some notable triumphs to his credit. This young entrant to the world of sport has been ranked 2nd in the men’s world rankings and 1st in the world junior rankings.
Mohammed, whose discipline is cross country rally, enduro and quad cross is the new face of a generation; he started his career with a bang two years ago. In April 2013, at his first ever quad rally competition, he emerged champion at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, becoming the first Qatari to bring home a gold medal since 2008.
Later the same year, he was placed third at the Qatar Rally. This year, he has already won first place at the Sealine Cross Country Rally in Qatar. Earlier this year, he was also placed 4th at the Dakar Rally, while riding one of the finest deserts in South America with leading racers and navigators.
It all started for this Red Bull athlete when he was introduced to the world of quad biking, several years ago as a child. He turned out to be a natural and pretty soon began competing in local amateur races as a hobby; this went on for a while until he felt ready to turn professional.
“While it was a great privilege that I won championships like the Abu Dhabi Challenge and the Qatar Rally, it also set me on the path I wanted to pursue. I realised this is what I want to be dedicated to. I want to represent my country and my sport and help the developments of both along the way,” says Mohammed, talking about his new found passion.
“I’ve always been interested in motor sport from a young age. It was my older brother who was instrumental in getting me on the track to quad biking; he would introduce me to various new sports and encourage me to be the best I could. Once I got started on the quad bike, that was it, I was hooked,” he adds.
Elaborating on his victories, Mohammed says, “Winning in Abu Dhabi last year was an unforgettable experience. Entering the rally scene as an amateur was daunting and I felt a lot of pressure to perform. It was a demanding race; I had never experienced anything like it before. It was tough on my body and my bike. My target was to merely finish. However, I remained in a competitive position until the last day, and then I finally took the lead. It was a great rally and very well organised. It wasn’t until the awards ceremony that the feeling that I had actually won, sunk in!”
Mohammed has participated in several rallies across the world and has completed the World Cup circuit in 2013; the 2014 season is still underway. “There is a big difference between competitions and challenges; I face challenges every day while training and riding. You have to face challenges if you want to push and be the best, otherwise you just won’t improve,” he points out.
While all races and rallies are challenging, the famous Dakar rally is in a league of its own. The toughest of all the rallies, it takes place over two weeks and covers a minimum of three countries in South America. The selected riders see a wide array of terrains, weather and altitudes.
Recalling his experience of the Dakar rally earlier this year, Mohammed says, “The Dakar rally is not just most challenging, it’s also the longest and the most intense. The race demands 14 days of focus and you will need to push your body to the limit. One mistake can cost you the race and in most circumstances cause you injuries, too.
“The Dakar rally 2014 was my first and it was an amazing experience. It took place in South America. We raced through three countries — Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. All three countries housed very different terrains. Argentina provided us with very green and mountainous environment, as against what we experienced in Chile where the landscape was very rocky and sandy; we travelled through lots of dry river beds. Bolivia has extreme terrain and houses one of the wonders of the world — the Uyumi Salt Beds. It is from here that you can actually see the curvature of the earth, due to the vast, flat space — the experience was beyond amazing.”
Quad biking hasn’t been all about just victories and fun for Mohammed. There have been some pretty painful bumps along the way. He had a very serious accident while racing on the final leg of the 2013 World Cup in Morocco.
On the third day, as he was racing to close the gap on the first place, he hit a huge rock and ended up with a serious wrist injury which required surgery. The entire experience threw him off course both mentally and physically.
“It took a lot to get back on the bike; but it was a great learning experience. Following the surgery, I entered the Dakar rally, against the recommendations of the sports therapists. It’s a great privilege to be part of this rally and I, for one, wasn’t going to miss it for the world. However, after my accident, my riding style has completely changed and I feel I’ve become a lot more mature and more in control mentally, when I race. I always ensure I learn from my mistakes,” he says.
Mohammed has started a local racing team titled ‘AbuIssa Racing’; members of the team train and ride together regularly, ensuring they push their limits and develop themselves.
“The AbuIssa Racing is firmly behind the 2030 national vision of Qatar. The quad biking scene in Qatar is very diverse; there are many skilled riders here. However, there aren’t many options to learn how to ride safely or to utilise the opportunities available. My team is very passionate about increasing the awareness of available opportunities for motorsport athletes throughout the Middle East.”
“Personally, I would love to win the World Cup and hopefully, the Dakar Rally or at least finish on the podium. However, for me there is more to this sport than winning, I want to be an ambassador for off-road driving and safe practices in Qatar, and hope to educate the youth here towards this goal. My dream is to create a community as well as a base for motor sports in Qatar and for the Middle East as a whole.
“Quad biking itself, as I said, brings many challenges from injuries to mental and physical fatigue. However besides the actual sport, there are also many other challenges, including raising funds for sponsorship. This is very challenging and it’s something both my team and I are constantly contending with. We are always looking for potential sponsors and the opportunity to expand our team, we have many plans and hope to be able to fulfil our goals over time,” explains Mohammed elaborating on his aspirations.
Touching on his close family ties, Mohammed says, “My father has always been a source of inspiration for me. My parents have taught me about life and my father, in particular, has offered me some great opportunities, thus helping me find my passion and path for the future. I spent hours in the desert from a young age. I owe it to my father and brother who have taught me the basics and laid the foundations that have put me in the position I am in today.”
When he isn’t raising a storm in the desert, this young man spends his time diving, sailing and travelling. “Besides sports, I am passionate about travelling and so I’m very grateful that my sport enables me to incorporate this passion into my life. I also enjoy doing business and am currently working on two mobile applications that are to be realised soon. The business world creates a good balance for me in between my sporting events and competitions.”
“I was very fortunate to have been part of the recently held Red Bull Air Race in UK. I got to fly with one of the most talented pilots, as a passenger and I experienced for the first time what ‘high’ G-force really meant. I reached 7 Gs! It was mind blowing, I couldn’t lift my arms from my lap and my breath was really taken away. I would like to thank Red Bull for inviting me to take part in such an amazing event and letting me enjoy something truly surreal,” he describes.
Mohammed has set his sights firmly on the upcoming FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Cup and is determined to become world champion; it is a dream and something he wants to achieve. As the young man trains hard to rev up his career to the next level, Community expects to see Mohammed achieve yet another sporting triumph for Qatar!
