Belgian motocross rider Walter Roelants had a terrible accident on Sunday during a motorcycle ride in Morocco. The man was rushed to the hospital, where he was told that he would remain paralyzed forever, Belgian media reported. Roelants was supposed to ride the old route from Morocco to Dakar with friends. Along the way, he fell, suffering a severe injury. Roelants is the father of Joel Roelants, the current national coach of the Belgian motocross team. Joel suffered the same fate as his father back in 2014, becoming paralyzed. Following his son's accident, Walter Roelants took the initiative to support the non-profit organization To Walk Again. His son's experience encouraged him to participate in the 2021 Rally Dakar and raise money for To Walk Again. At 60 years old, he became the oldest Belgian participant to reach the finish of the Dakar. One year later, Roelants returned to the race that passes through Morocco. In the fourth stage, he fell, broke two vertebrae, and suffered a collapsed lung, after which he had to rehabilitate for three months.
