It is not easy for anyone to completely reinvent themselves. Especially not if you are used to an adrenaline-fueled lifestyle full of action and then have to start a completely different life almost from scratch. Mountain bike freeride professional Tarek Rasouli was forced to take exactly this step when he seriously injured his spine at the height of his career and was confined to a wheelchair from then on. Since that momentous day in 2002, Tarek has been proving every day that giving up is not an option and that there is nothing that can drive a thoroughbred mountain biker out of the mountain bike business. Red Bull TV’s “The Reinvention of Tarek Rasouli” shows how the Munich native ticks and how he managed to go from being a professional freerider to becoming one of the most important opinion leaders and influencers in the bike industry.
The dramatic accident turned Tarek’s world upside down. His whole life, from BMX Races around the world to his admission to the legendary Rocky Mountain Froriders, was geared towards a career as a professional athlete. In all the uncertainty that set in after the paraplegia, only one thing was certain: Tarek wanted to remain part of the mountain bike world – and not just on the sidelines, but still in the middle of it.
With the development of the freeride pages of the German Bike Magazine, Tarek’s second career began to take shape. His first event “Ride to the Lake” soon followed – a huge success, from which the famous Red Bull District Ride would later emerge. In addition to journalism and event organization, Tarek kept asking himself what was missing in his active time and what would have made his life easier back then. His conclusion: for someone who really just wants to ride bikes, having somebody to take care of the organization and administration involved. The idea of professional management for bike athletes was born.
Today, Tarek’s agency RASOULUTION manages top athletes like Danny MacAskill, Fabio Wibmer, Thomas Genon, Emil Johansson or Erik Fedko, organizes bike events all over the world and develops and supervises communication concepts for various brands from the bike industry. Additionally, Tarek volunteers as an ambassador for the Wings for Life Foundation, which supports research and studies on spinal cord and spinal cord injuries with the declared goal of finding a cure for paraplegia one day.
Tarek is particularly looking forward to the annual Wings For Life World Run on May 9th: “Wings for Life is so important to me because it gives me hope – not just for me, but for everyone who has a spinal cord injury. Taking part in the Wings for Life World Run is therefore something very special for me. This year, thanks to a special exoskeleton, I will actually be able to take part in the run for the first time walking with my feet.”
But deep down, Tarek is still the mountain biker who just only wants to ride a bike – he is happiest when he’s out on his hand bike.
Follow Tarek Rasouli online:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/tarekrasouli
Facebook: facebook.com/tarekrasouli.page
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tarekrasouli
Website: www.rasoulution.com
Join Tarek’s Team for the Wings for Life World Run on 9 May 2021:
