Shropshire soldier leads team to Dakar Rally delight

The Race2Recovery team completed more than 5,500 miles in the Dakar Rally across difficult terrain in Argentina and Chile.

It was the second consecutive year that the 16-strong team, led by Captain Tony Harris, from Newport, completed the challenge.

The team's two race cars, one of which was being driven by Captain Harris, had to pull out of the race early on. Captain Harris' Land Rover rolled over on sand dunes while the other suffered mechanical problems.

But the team soldiered on with its support truck and successfully crossed the finish line on Saturday. The truck and team then made its way to Valparaiso in Chile to celebrate with crowds in the city centre.

A total of 204 vehicles completed the 2014 Dakar, meaning more than half of the racers were forced to withdraw.

Speaking as the team celebrated in Valparaiso, Captain Harris, 32, the team's founder, said he was proud of the achievement.

Captain Harris, who lost his left leg after an explosion while serving in Afghanistan in 2009 with the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, said: "The team has once again lived up to its motto 'beyond injury, achieving the extraordinary'. We had a bit of a bumpy ride early on but showed what willpower and teamwork can achieve. The race truck crew have been a credit to us and to the Dakar as a whole.

"On several occasions they selflessly stopped on-stage to rescue other teams in difficulty and, in doing so, made their own race challenge all the more difficult. That shows the spirit of our team but also the spirit of this fantastic event. It's the world's toughest race but it's the world's greatest feeling when you see your team across the finish line."

After retiring from the race, Captain Harris was part of the support team that travelled more than 4,300-miles off-road, setting up base at the end of each stage to carry out overnight repairs to the support truck before it resumed its journey at dawn.

The Race2Recovery team, which was sponsored by Jaguar Land Rover, has raised more than £250,000 for military charities.

Mark Cameron, a director for the firm, said: "At Land Rover, we're proud of our ongoing association with a team that demonstrates such great strength of character."