Annie Seel – Sweden’s most prolific Dakar competitor

“This is something you do once in a lifetime. Or hopefully more, if things go well – but so far, once in a lifetime,” Annie Seel said ahead of her first Dakar Rally in 2002.

That first time turned out to be both the best and the worst thing she had ever done. As a cheerful amateur, she didn’t really know what she was getting herself into, yet she made it to the finish despite a broken wrist, a burnt clutch and a night alone in the desert. When she reached the finish line, she said: never again.
Since then, Annie has completed more Dakar Rallies than any other Swede. Twelve times through desert, heat, mechanical failures and extreme challenges – five of them on a motorcycle. No one remembers a coward.

When Annie Seel rolled up to the start line as a happy amateur at her first Dakar in 2002, she already had many races behind her and had competed in a couple of desert rallies before – in Dubai and Tunisia. But nothing had truly prepared her for what lay ahead. Dakar was something else entirely. Not just a race, but a seventeen-day survival test through deserts, mountains, heat and total exhaustion. For Annie, the goal was crystal clear from the start: to reach the finish.

She made her debut on a Honda XR400 – a relatively simple but heavy motorcycle compared to many of her competitors’ purpose-built rally machines. The Honda was adapted for desert conditions, but it was far from a dream bike.

Early in the race, after just a few stages, she crashed and broke her right wrist, also suffering a painful muscle haematoma in her thigh. The pain was constant. Every time she changed gear, every time she stood up on the footpegs through sand dunes and rocky terrain, her body reminded her that she should really quit. But Annie refused to give up.

Day after day she carried on, defying pain and fatigue, pushing herself forward. Many riders retired – bikes broke down, bodies failed, concentration disappeared. But Annie kept going. Not because it was easy, but because that was exactly why she was there.

When she finally crossed the finish line at Lac Rose in Senegal, she had not only completed her first Dakar Rally – she had also won the 400 cc production class and finished 54th overall among hundreds of competitors. With a broken wrist and a body covered in bruises.

But the result itself was not the most important thing. What mattered was the proof she gave herself – and others – that she could do it. That she was, indeed, the kind of rider Dakar demands.

Despite saying “never again” at the finish, it became the beginning of a long relationship between Annie Seel and the toughest rally in the world.

A relationship marked by pain, pride, challenges and a 100 per cent determination that simply refuses to give up.

With her twelve starts, Annie Seel has also achieved what the organisers call Dakar Legend status – a title given to drivers and riders who have participated in and completed at least ten editions of the rally.

It is not a prize in the results tables, but a recognition of the experience and endurance required to line up and take on Dakar, again and again. After her debut in 2002, Annie Seel continued to return to the Dakar Rally. She is the Swede who has completed the most Dakars, and has done so in two disciplines – on two wheels and four.

“Riding the Dakar on a motorcycle is the most hardcore thing you can do. It’s the toughest, boldest, wildest and coolest challenge there is,” says Annie.

After her years on two wheels, she switched to the car class and began competing in a four-wheeled vehicle, taking part both as a driver and as a co-driver. The transition involved a different way of competing, where teamwork and communication played a greater role than on a motorcycle – but the fundamental challenge of Dakar remained the same: to survive all the stages and reach the finish.ndutmaningen i Dakar var densamma – att ta sig igenom tävlingens alla etapper och nå målet.

Alongside her Dakar campaigns, Annie has also continued racing in other disciplines, including historic rally cars in the Midnight Sun Rally and other international competitions.

Annie is living proof that passion, courage and stubborn determination can take you far, regardless of age or expectations. Her career shows that motorsport is for anyone who wants it – and that there is room for new adventures even after decades in the spotlight. For her, it is as much the adventure itself as the racing that drives her.

You’re not good from the beginning – but you get better. You have to want to learn more – “know your shit.” Even if you’re not good at the start, you become good along the way. And have fun! Annie concludes.

For anyone wondering, “When is it time to stop?”, her answer is clear:
“Not yet.”