West Vancouver amputee hopes to ride his motorcycle into Dakar rally history

WATCH: Global BC‘s Lynn Colliar and Jay Durant talk to Erez Avramov about his big goal

A West Vancouver man is hoping to become the first amputee in the history of the Dakar rally to race on a motorcycle.

Erez Avramov survived a near fatal car accident four years ago, but lost his right leg.

After years of rehab, surgeries and getting a prosthetic leg, Avramov decided to give his motorcycle a try again.

So he bought one in December and went in for his first ride.

“I went up the first time and within 20 minutes, I realized I could not ride anymore: it was painful, I felt unsafe and could not control the bike,” he says.

He came back home and told his wife his dream was over. But it kept him up at nigh, so Avramov dug deep inside and realized there were ways to do it.

“When I realized that it is a possibility, it kind of showed me I can pursue any dream I have, and Dakar was always there.”

He had to come up with a bike that would be adjusted to fit his prosthetic and allow him maximum control.

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Erez has not done any rally races before, so he needs to qualify first.

Dakar is often billed as the longest and toughest off-road race in the world spanning weeks and thousands of kilometers. The race attracts hundreds of participants from dozens of countries.

While Avramov has a long journey ahead of him, both in Dakar as well as training here in Vancouver, he does not question his motivation.

“Why is the question that I kind of left behind. This has been something I wanted to do for 20 years. After the accident I thought I would never be able to ride the motorcycle, let alone after my amputation.”

A documentary will chronicle Erez’s journey to Dakar. He will also share his story and ability to live life from a different perspective as a motivational speaker.