December 16, 2025

The European Fair Play Movement presented its SPECIAL AWARD 2025 to ŠTEFAN SVITKO (SVK)

During the 47th edition of the Dakar Rally in 2025, Štefan Svitko stopped at the 187th kilometre of Stage 9 when he came across Aaron Mare, who had crashed just ahead of him and was seriously injured. The Slovak rider, together with Tobi Ebster and Romain Dumontier, stayed with the South African for almost an hour until the rescue helicopter arrived. Together with the rescuers, they helped load Mare into the helicopter before continuing the stage.

At the finish, the time they spent assisting their rival was deducted from their overall stage time, and Svitko moved into 9th place with two stages remaining in the desert rally.

“The stage wasn’t long, but it was difficult. I expected sand, but there were hard flats – both fast and slow – with dangerous rocks. I caught up with Mare, who had crashed just in front of me. He was shaken and gasping for breath. He was badly injured, just like I was four years ago in Greece. I waited for the helicopter to arrive and helped load him up together with Ebster and Dumontier. In the end, we were all riding together and everyone made navigational mistakes, so things got a bit mixed up,” TASR quoted the motorcyclist as saying on Instagram.

Svitko has already distinguished himself in the past through his humanity, humility, and respect for others. He previously received the main award of the Slovak and European Fair Play Movement for his conduct during the Dakar Rally. In 2020, he attempted to save the life of Pablo Gonçalves, who had suffered fatal injuries during the race. These actions clearly demonstrate that such values come from the heart.

On behalf of the EFPM we would also like to sincerely thank Tobi Ebster and Romain Dumontier for their help and humanity. In moments like these, it’s not about results or racing — the most important thing is human life and helping one another.