Belgian motocross rider Walter Roelants has been left permanently paralyzed after a crash during a motorcycle ride in Morocco on Sunday. He was quickly transported to the hospital, where doctors confirmed he would never regain movement, according to Belgian media.
Roelants was riding the historic route from Morocco to Dakar with friends when the accident occurred, causing a serious injury.
He is the father of Joel Roelants, the current coach of Belgium’s national motocross team. Joel suffered a similar fate in 2014, also becoming paralyzed.
In the wake of his son’s accident, Walter Roelants became actively involved with the charity To Walk Again. Motivated by Joel’s experience, Walter participated in the 2021 Rally Dakar to raise funds for the organization.
At 60 years old, he became the oldest Belgian to finish the Dakar Rally. The following year, he returned to Morocco for another race. During the fourth stage, he fell again, fracturing two vertebrae and injuring his lung, requiring three months of rehabilitation.
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