Passion and fighting at Wondół Challenge

Next to off-road racing, the mountains and skiing are the greatest passions of Rafał Sonik. He simply could not say ‘no’ when he received an invitation to speak during the “Wondół Challenge” festival in Szczyrk.

Ever since childhood and his first slides down Kasprowy Wierch, he has been in love with the Tatra Mountains. During his high school and studies time, Zakopane became his second home. When he began racing and decided to participate in the legendary Dakar Rally, the race has just moved to South America and took him from Argentina to Chile through high passes in the Andes.

However, Rafał Sonik did not talk in Szczyrk about the views and experiences from the South American mountains. He talked about his passion that motivated him on the way to the top. The sports top, that is his 2015 win. He talked about the first small successes, the failures that he learned from – which was hard but valuable, and about fighting in court, for the honour of a fair racer.

He ended his one-hour-long presentation accompanied by films and photographs on a strong and important note. ‘They ask you, why do you climb mountains? And you answer – because they exist! When people ask me why I continue to race, I respond that I race to hear the sound of the white&red flag waiving over my head and to raise my arm in triumph, the arm with the emblem of an eagle and the crown.