Israeli motorcyclist Alona Ben Natan is chasing a world title and something bigger in the dunes of Dubai, as reported by Gabriel Colodro in this powerful profile. Leading the Baja World Cup standings as she heads into the Dubai International Baja, Ben Natan carries the pressure of a global championship, the grief of Oct. 7, and the scrutiny that comes with being the first Israeli woman to race major rallies in Morocco and Dubai.
She describes Baja racing as a mental game as much as a physical one: hours of high-speed navigation through soft, shifting sand where the line between control and chaos is razor thin. Her multinational team—riders from Lebanon, Russia, the Emirates, Europe, and Israel—turns the desert into an unlikely zone of cooperation, where water, tools, and advice are shared across political fault lines. For Ben Natan, that is proof that “it’s the governments who are fighting, not the people.”
The story tracks her rapid rise from a casual off-road rider six years ago to a championship contender and member of the International Motorcycling Federation Women’s Committee, while fielding sexist backlash and serving as a role model for girls, parents, and her own 10-year-old son.
Colodro also follows her through the emotional fallout of Oct. 7, a canceled race, a denied visa to Qatar, online abuse, and careful security arrangements in Dubai—set against her refusal to hide her Israeli and Jewish identity. By the time you reach the final stretch of Gabriel Colodro’s piece and watch the video interview, you will want to stay with Ben Natan through every dune and setback, and you will likely finish wanting to read every word of her story and share it with someone who needs hope.