Safari Rally winner Ogier donates millions towards conservation
Sebastien Ogier and his navigator Julien Ingrassia celebrate their win during the award ceremony of the WRC Safari Rally in Naivasha on June 27,2021 as President Uhuru Kenyatta (left) and Sports CS Amina Mohammed look on.
What you need to know:
- The French rally driver won the World Rally Drivers' Championship in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020 and has 53 victories in the World Rally Championship.
- He is the second most successful WRC driver, after former Citroën WRC teammate Sébastien Loeb (nine titles).
- Ogier is also one of two drivers to have won the World Championship with three different Manufacturers. The other driver is Juha Kankkunen.
The 2021 World Rally Championship Safari Rally winner, Sebastian Ogier, has announced that he will donate 20,000 Euros(approximately Sh2.5 million) to support education and wildlife conservation in Kenya.
The French rally driver on Tuesday evening revealed that he will donate 10,000 Euros to support the education of needy children at the Nakuru Children's Project.
He also donated another 10,000 Euros towards the conservation of wildlife at the Olpejeta Conservancy in Laikipia County.
"A few weeks ago, we were celebrating our 4th win of the season at the World Rally Championship in Naivasha, with incredible support from locals in the most amazing nature. It was my first time in Africa and I was overwhelmed by the beauty of Kenya, the warm-hearted people and its incredible wildlife.This wonderful country has got a place in my heart," stated Ogier on his social media accounts.
"I will support the Nakuru Children's Project with 10,000 Euros and another 10,000 Euros to conserve wildlife at the Olpejeta Conservancy," added the seven-time world champion.
The Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a 360 km2 wildlife sanctuary located in Laikipia County which works to conserve wildlife, provide a sanctuary for great apes and to generate income through wildlife tourism and complementary enterprises for re-investment in conservation and community development.
The Nakuru Children's Project is a non-profit making organisation that focusses on relieving poverty and improving education for children in the county.
Zoe Kelland, the co-founder and head of mobilisation of the Nakuru Children's Project, lauded the move.
"This is a great surprise for us at the Nakuru Children's Project. We thank Sebastien Ogier for such an incredibly generous donation. We’ve got some big dreams in the pipeline and this is going to help make them a reality for kids in Nakuru," stated Kelland on her Twitter account.
During the World Rally Championship in Naivasha last month, Ogier and his co-driver Julien Ingrassia emerged the overall winners and were awarded the trophy by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
President Kenyatta and other leaders were among thousands of Kenyan motorsport enthusiasts who turned up for the spectacular WRC Safari Rally, which was making a return to Kenya after a 19-year hiatus.
After trailing Belgian Thierry Neuville for the better part of the four-day race, Ogier stormed into the lead in the final stages after Neuville broke his right rear shock absorber during the previous day's first special stage.
Ogier came home 21.8 seconds ahead of his Toyota teammate Takamoto Katsuta with the Estonian Ott Tanak third in his Hyundai.
Ogier was born in December 1983.
The French rally driver won the World Rally Drivers' Championship in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020 and has 53 victories in the World Rally Championship.
He is the second most successful WRC driver, after former Citroën WRC teammate Sébastien Loeb (nine titles).
Ogier is also one of two drivers to have won the World Championship with three different Manufacturers. The other driver is Juha Kankkunen.
