Ex-Moto2 rider Axel Pons has radically altered his life after retiring from motorcycle racing, having walked barefoot from Spain to Pakistan on his way to India.
The Spaniard, who raced in the intermediate class between 2009-17 with limited success, returned to the limelight when a video of him surfaced on the internet and became viral, attracting hundreds of thousand views.
In the clip, Pons revealed that he had started his adventure in 2023 and intended to travel as far as India, and was waiting to receive the necessary visa approvals to cross the border.
In an exclusive interview, two-time 250cc champion Sito Pons detailed the life-changing journey his 33-year-old son has taken.
“What Axel is doing, I think it's something extraordinary and incredibly brave and courageous,” he said. “In March it will have been two years since he left Barcelona, always walking.
“He began to explain to us that he needed to walk, see the world, understand the philosophy of life, of religions and he began his journey.
“Every day he gets up at five in the morning, does meditation and yoga, and starts walking. You need a lot of discipline, plus he doesn't go to hotels and only travels with a backpack, with the bare minimum.”
Sito explained that his son started the adventure alone, but a few people joined him along the way. In southern Turkey he met a couple who were traveling the 'Lycian Way', a route of about 400km in the Tekke Peninsula.
“His idea has always been to reach India on foot,” Sito explained. “The problem is that the border between Pakistan and India is closed.
“He then decided to go to the Himalayas and spent five months there. People began to go looking for him, to take photos and talk to him, a whole story, just what he did not want: he became famous and known there, and now it is happening to him here.
“It is so surprising and so amazing that it was foreseeable that it was going to go viral in Europe. And we have already seen what has happened these days, it has come out everywhere. Fortunately he is not aware of what is happening here.”
The stir caused by the video exposed Pons' new life and also triggered speculations about the 33-year-old, with it being claimed that he had either been arrested or had thrown away his passport in the water.
However, his father Sito Pons denied those claims were true.
“Axel is fine and has never been arrested,” he said. “He handed over the documentation to the Pakistani agency that was in charge of managing the visa to be able to enter India.”
Axel Pons has remained in regular contact with his parents Sito and Laura despite having given up on social media and smartphones.
They also spent some time together in North Macedonia before the younger Pons continued onwards to Central Asia.
“Whenever he can connect, he calls us and explains what he is doing,” said Sito Pons. “Some adventures are extraordinary.
“I remember that when I had been walking for a few months I wanted to share with him a small piece of his experience, and in one of his calls I told him that I was going to go see him - that was in July 2023.
“He told me he was in North Macedonia and the directions to find him. It was not easy to find him, but I did it and we were together for a week, walking, talking, sleeping in the forest, it was an unforgettable experience.
“I remember that when I said goodbye to him I told him that what he was doing was very hard, it was incredibly hot, walking.
“I asked him to return home when he arrived in Turkey. But he arrived in Pakistan, always walking, and he has been there for six months now.”
Sito Pons is proud of the path his son Axel has taken, praising him for his determination and discipline.
“Axel's story is admirable for his effort and ability to sacrifice, living life in peace, driven by love to understand the world from the human perspective by knowing different cultures and religions,” said Sito.
“To cross the world on foot you have to have great strength and courage, and you have our full support.”
