Before Eirik Hesla Berget was able to enter the world of motorsport and prove his speed in the Supercar Lites category, he spent a good part of his youth between hospitals and frequent visits to the doctor. Suffering from a rare syndrome known as Hyperplexia, the young Norwegian would never have been able to compete in rallycross. However, through sheer determination, Eirik Hesla Berget has been able to pursue his dream and is determined not to stop in 2024.
At Christmas time, here’s a story that will surely inspire many. After finishing the 2022 campaign in 13th place in the Supercar Lites overall standings, Eirik used his return to racing at the end of the 2023 season in Grenland and Höljes to talk about the syndrome he has had to deal with since a young age.
“In the early years, until we found the right medication, whenever someone scared me or surprised me, I just tended to fall down and my body would be like paralyzed. My whole childhood was a real challenge, full of ups and downs and frequent visits to the doctor and hospitals,” says Eirik.
“Later, a new treatment improved my situation, but the main problem is that this syndrome is extremely rare. It must affect one person in a million, and there aren’t many cases in Norway.
This rare syndrome prompted some doctors to curb Eirik Hesla-Berget’s ambitions when he spoke of his desire to enter motorsport.
“Just getting a driver’s license with this syndrome is very difficult. My parents took the first steps when I was 15, and we didn’t get the green light until two weeks before I turned 18,” he says.
“Inevitably, I had exactly the same problems getting my racing license. The only thing that helped was that my treatment didn’t include any drugs that were on the doping list. From then on, I knew that no one could take away my license. What the doctors told me was that they couldn’t go against my wishes, but they let me know that they thought it was a very bad idea.”
An opposition from the doctors and a frustration that Eirik has used to fuel his fierce determination.
“I can control crises to a certain extent. But their attitude helped give me the fuel I needed to prove them wrong. Not only did I want to progress as a driver, but I also wanted to be in the media to show that no matter what syndrome you have or what difficulties you face in life, nothing should stop you from achieving your dreams,” he said.
“I don’t think many people in the rallycross community are really aware of my syndrome, but I don’t mind. I prefer to be seen as a normal person, but I’m still very open about it. The idea is really to prove that if we are able to overcome certain barriers, then there’s nothing that can stop us from achieving our goals.
Determined, Eirik has never been one to let events or defeatist rhetoric get him down…
“I have the impression that if you accept everything that can be said, things will never change. Fortunately, my parents were always there to support me, despite the doctors’ advice. If I’d listened to them, I’d never have been able to take up motorsport, just like I wouldn’t have been able to get my driver’s license. Nevertheless, my passion for motorsport was so strong that we managed to reverse a trend that wasn’t really in my favor.
“Taking part in this RallyX championship is a dream come true. It’s also an achievement to see the progress I can make in a sport that no one thought I would ever have access to. It proves that we’re not just here for the fun of it, but that we’re determined to do everything we can to be at the top.”
In addition to his rallycross activities, Eirik is also involved in charities that help hospitalized children.
“I’ve been participating in this operation in Norway since 2019. The aim is to support young children who are hospitalized and going through difficult times. For my part, I’ve also had to spend a lot of time in hospitals since I was very young. When I decided to get involved in rallycross, it was clear from the start that I wanted to use the sport to raise money for these young children.”
“For example, in 2022 we collected 10,000 Euros. So part of the budget that my sponsors give me goes to support this organization. Now that I’m living my dream, I also want to give back to those who helped me when I was younger”.
For Eirik, the next step may be to share his life’s journey with young children, becoming a voice that can give them a glimmer of hope in their fight against the disease.
“I haven’t been personally involved in helping these young children yet, but it’s one of the things I want to do in the future. However, in order to achieve this, I also have to keep working on myself, because even though rallycross has helped me to open up to others, I can’t hide the fact that until three years ago, I wasn’t at all comfortable speaking in public. Even at school, I was simply not able to make the slightest presentation in front of the rest of the class.”
“I was even scared at the thought of having to talk to someone I didn’t know, so I have to admit that rallycross has been the best possible medicine for me. All in all, this sport has given me a lot in a very short time. I want to continue to show that, whatever the difficulties, nothing should stop you from living a normal life or achieving your dreams, as I have done in rallycross.”
