A hen in the rooster house
As the first female marshal at the International GS Trophy, Jolandie, or simply "Jo" Rust has to assert herself in a typically male domain. It's not difficult for her. Rust doesn't get fazed that easily. Not even after being held up at gunpoint during her trip across Africa on an Enduro.
The guys wipe the sweat from their brows. Temperatures are soaring past the 30-degree mark. But it's not the heat that's tough for these men, it's the incredible humidity in Mae Sariang, a town in the heart of Thailand's back country. At a loss for what to do, they stand around a team mate's motorcycle before making one last attempt to pull the 250 kilo R 1200 GS out of the mud. Forget it. They need Jo. Jo is the team leader, the boss, the pro. Jo has pulled her team mates out of the mud many times during the seven-day International GS Trophy Enduro adventure. And out of other messes.
Marshal Jo has earned respect.
Marshal Jo has earned respect.
Jo's full name is Jolandie Rust. She's 32 years old and comes from South Africa. This strong woman with delicate facial features and long brown hair is the first female marshalin the history of the International GS Trophy. The First Lady of the Enduro expedition has gained the trust and respect of her team members. They trust her because of the energetic support she gives to the GS riders in the race. They respect her because of her unique experience with the adventure riding.
More horsepower. More speed.
More horsepower. More speed.
Jo has always been riding two-wheelers. It all started with bicycles. She cycled 5,951 kilometres across Africa in a hundred days. But that wasn't enough for her. Jo wanted more. More horsepower. More speed. But she wanted to stick to two wheels. She chose the BMW F 650 GS Dakar. In 2011, she decided to circumnavigate Africa, starting out in Cape Town. Jo wasn't scared of riding solo as a woman with no one to help her in an emergency. At least not until that fateful day in N'Zeto in northern Angola, where she was held up by two armed men who took everything from her except one thing: her life.
From robbery to defiance.
Jolandie Rust
Girl Power at the International GS Trophy.
Girl Power at the International GS Trophy.
In 2016 the time had finally come again. For the first time in seven years, a women's team was going to compete in the International GS Trophy. "When I heard about it, I wanted to compete directly as a rider", says Jo. But the rules of the event prohibited that. "As an off-road instructor, unfortunately I'm not allowed to compete in the Trophy", says Jo. But when one door closes, another opens: Jo became a jury member of the Female Qualifier for the International GS Trophy in South Africa. Ten women competed for a spot on the international women's team. Jo contributed her expertise and excellent judgement skills from the sidelines. It soon became obvious: she would be indispensable at the International GS Trophy in South East Asia. The rest is history – the history of the first female marshal at the International GS Trophy.
