Euan Dante Harmse was just nine years old when he first hopped on a motorbike.
It proved to be love at first rev, boy and machine bonding immediately.
Seven years later, and the now 16-year-old Harmse has harnessed the power of the bike, swiftly establishing himself as one of the best young riders in Botswana.
The teenager has enjoyed much success in his short career.
In 2019, just two years after taking up the sport, Harmse won the overall junior National Championships for motocross and cross-country.
By 2022, he was competing with the seniors, coming third in the cross-country section. Up against seasoned riders, the teen went two better last year, winning the six-race Botswana Motorsport National cross-country Championships.
He has also competed in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda and South Africa, and has been a regular member of the National Team for Motor-cross of African Nations (MXOAN) for several years now.
Despite his stunning rise, Harmse is confident he is just getting started.
The Molepolole-based motorcyclist dreams of following in his hero, Ross Branch’s tyre tracks and making it all the way to the Dakar Rally.
“I started riding in 2017 when my uncle had bought my cousins some bikes. He urged my dad to get one for me too and that’s how my journey started. I have always pushed myself to be like Ross Branch and one day compete at international level,” the Kalahari Cross Country Racing Club member tells Voice Sport.
The Rainbow Secondary School student knows exactly what his pot of gold would be.
“The main goal is to one day go and do the Dakar Rally and be an international champion. I did the Desert Race here for the first time last year and the experience was tough as expected but I enjoyed it since I didn’t struggle that much.”
This is something of an understatement, considering Harmse capped his debut at the gruelling 2023 Kalahari Botswana Toyota 1000 Desert Race in Jwaneng by winning the OR7 High-school category.
Having tasted glory on the track, off the track, the young speedster is finding life more challenging, as he struggles to find sponsorship in what is a notoriously costly sport, especially for one targeting the top.
“Sponsorship issues are challenging because I don’t have a financier at this time. In my races, I sponsor myself for maintenance of my bike and attire. Me being on a small bike, it becomes difficult to catch up with other guys on big, powerful bikes. It’s tough. Right now, I need a faster bike but it’s hard since I don’t have a sponsor,” he says.
“The sport is very expensive. Boots only last for 12 months because they melt over time due to the heat from the bike. Bikes plus helmets are expensive too so I keep on competing with the hope of getting a sponsor one day who will take me to Dakar. If I didn’t enjoy doing it, I would have long dropped out,” admits Harmse, who was quick to thank his parents for their unwavering support – both emotionally and financially.
Hampered by a lack of Pula power, for now, Harmse will have to rely on his talent to get by; fortunately, it’s something the youngster has in spades!
