9TH RALLY EDITION: OCTOBER 10 – 19, 2024

#142

Pushin' Precision

Azure and Eva have worked together for the better part of a decade at Overland Expo and bonded over a shared love of adventure motorcycles and salty beer. Though they’ve worked closely together in event production, training for the Rebelle has taken them from being coworkers to lifelong friends. Living on opposite sides of the country has made training for the Rebelle a puzzle in and of itself, involving multi-platform video calls, state-to-state plotting challenges, and strategically planned cross-country trips to drive together in a variety of different vehicles. We haven’t had a single defining moment that stands out, but growing together as a team and recognizing how similar our goals and aspirations are has been extremely rewarding and fun, in and of itself.

Sponsored By:

Farage Precision
Overland Expo
Rider Justice
Mosko Moto
Vanha
Step 22
Sage Overland

Eva Rupert

Driver

I am always up for an adventure, especially when it involves dirt roads, wild places, and sleeping under the stars! My favorite things are coffee, dogs, and motorcycles.

Occupation:

Event Planner, Writer, Entrepreneur

Residence:

Bisbee, AZ

Favorite Quote:

“We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” — T.S. Eliot

Fun Fact:

I live in a vintage motel in Bisbee, Arizona that I own with my boyfriend. It’s my home and my business; we have a steady flow of guests visiting and I love hosting travelers from all over the world.

Why the Rebelle? Why now?

The Rebelle has always been on my radar and this is the perfect year to dive in! Between the challenge, camaraderie, and doing something totally new and different, I couldn’t imagine a better time to be a part of it.

Who, or what, inspires you most?

I feel intensely fortunate to have so many amazing, inspiring people in my life. The theme that runs through all of them is a spirit of inquiry, inner strength, and an eye for adventure— all traits I seek to cultivate in my own life.

Top three favorite podcasts / books / shows

Podcasts: Stoic Coffee Break for bite sized bits of wisdom and How I Built This for entrepreneurial inspiration, Book: Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, I love how simple and pure, yet packed with wisdom, the story is.

Greatest adventure to date?

I started traveling as soon as I had my drivers license and those early road trips were some of the most adventurous. They were filled with breakdowns, wrong turns, serendipitous encounters, and wild experiences that have certainly shaped who I am today.

Prior Years Competed:
Awards Achieved:

Azure O'Neil

Navigator

I require coffee to begin the day and am open to just about any adventure that follows... once said coffee has been savored. I've been fortunate to see a fair bit of the world, by air, land and sea, and am grateful to work in a field where I am able to encourage others to do so, as well.

Occupation:

Event Planner, Wine Nerd

Residence:

Sarasota, FL

Favorite Quote:

"If you argue for your limitations, you own them." -Gene O’Neil (This was once my least favorite quote, as Gene is my dad.)

Fun Fact:

I once sang onstage with the Beach Boys. Badly. Very badly.

Why the Rebelle? Why now?

Thanks to the encouragement and support of colleagues and friends who I’ve met through Overland Expo, the opportunity arose to team up with fellow motorcycle rider, Eva Rupert, and get a little out of our comfort zone on four wheels rather than two. I do not comfortably speak any language that involves numbers, whether that is computer programming or plotting coordinates and using a compass. But, caring for a family member for the past year who suffers from dementia has made abundantly clear that I (and we all) need to do whatever it takes to challenge our brains, build new neural pathways and increase elasticity. I knew preparing for the Rebelle would help me work on this, and it was clear after our first Rebelle U that this was going to be an amazing, mind expanding experience in more ways than one!

Who, or what, inspires you most?

Anyone who is born with or encounters a physical difference that some might view as disabling and actively chooses to make a positive difference in this world, projecting positivity and hope as they go. E.g. My friend Sylvia Cuberlo Longmire who has traveled through more than 40 countries by wheelchair and helps others book WC-friendly journeys; my cousin, Will, who was born with a brain malformation called schizencephaly and is the inspiration for the WillPower Foundation which raises funds for families with children of all ages who have exceptional needs; my Godfather, Dave, who has been severely hearing impaired since the age of 7 and volunteered for 20 years with the Hearing Loss Association to get folks outfitted with hearing aids; and our friend and sponsor Mark Farage, who was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, and is not only one of the kindest and most intelligent folks I know, but is also making differences abroad in some desperately tragic and terrifying situations.

Top three favorite podcasts / books / shows

Podcast: The World’s First Podcast
Book: Ishmael
Show: Jeopardy or How It’s Made (not sure if this is even still on air, haha – shows how much TV I watch)

Greatest adventure to date?

Giving up my corporate career to move to Australia to learn how to make wine and then riding more than 100,000 miles on a motorcycle through Australia, North America, South America, and Europe… from wine region to wine region, naturally.

Prior Years Competed:
Awards Achieved:

Vehicle

2001 Toyota Land Cruiser