Stefan Everts: How the world's greatest motocross rider came back from the brink of death

Stefan Everts didn’t just enter the motocross scene — he redefined it. Starting professionally in 1989, Everts may have inherited a family legacy, his father Harry being a four-time world champion, but took it further than anyone imagined.

With a legitimate claim to being the GOAT of motocross, we'll take a quick look back at the incredible career, health struggles and current life of Stefan Everts.

Growing up in Belgium as the son of four-time world champion Harry Everts, Stefan seemed destined to make his mark. Starting in the 125cc class, he quickly rose through the ranks with Yamaha, a partnership that would become legendary in the motocross world.

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Known for his agility, meticulous technique, and fearlessness on any surface, Everts was a master of versatility, taking championships in multiple classes and on various terrains.

At just 18, Everts secured his first 125cc World Championship title in 1991. This win made him the youngest motocross world champion at the time, showcasing his early mastery of the sport and setting a promising path ahead.

Stefan achieved a remarkable feat in 1995, winning titles in both the 250cc and 500cc classes, further solidifying his reputation as an adaptable and skilled rider across different engine categories.

On September 14, 2003, Everts accomplished what is often regarded as one of the greatest moments in motocross history: winning three Grand Prix events across the 125cc, 250cc, and 500cc classes  – all on the same day at the French Grand Prix, as Crash reported.

Everts closed his racing career with a record-breaking tenth world title in 2006, dominating the MX1 series and winning 14 of 15 races. This remarkable season remains one of the most dominant in motocross history.

Over his career, Everts won 101 Grand Prix races and cemented himself as one of, if not the greatest motocross has ever seen. But despite his family legacy and clear competitive spirit, Everts never actively sought to break records, as he told Motocross news outlet Gate Drop in 2020.

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"I just went in the steps," the Belgian icon said. "Once I broke the record of [Joel] Robert, for me I wasn’t so much focused on the ten, I just went year by year. The last year, I decided a couple of years before I would stop in 2006. During that winter I put my level really to make sure I could stop with ten titles. I succeeded but it was not like since I was a small kid I wanted to win ten world championships, it was not the case."

While his on-track achievements were well-celebrated, his toughest battle came years after his final race. In 2018, Everts contracted cerebral malaria during a charity event in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

The illness was severe, requiring extended ICU care and multiple surgeries to manage complications. This would see Everts in and out of hospital for the following two years as he underwent surgeries to amputate infected parts of his body. 

He has so far had eight toes amputated – only two remain on his left foot – and continues to have heel pain.  In a show of some trademark Belgian humour, Everts joked that he "now has less toes than titles" in 2019 to TMX magazine.

While Everts is able to joke about it, the prognosis before his induced coma in 2018 was anything but a joking matter. If he survived, doctors predicted the malaria infection would leave Everts with some brain damage and some organ damage as well.

Thankfully, tests showed that he emerged from the coma and his time in intensive care without any brain damage, as Racer X Online reported at the time in January 2019.

Though his racing days are well behind him, with Everts telling Gate Drop in 2024 that just putting on shoes is painful enough, let alone getting onto a bike, he's still very much a big part of the motocross world.

Today, he channels his passion into supporting his son, Liam Everts, who now competes on the global motocross stage. Rather than dominating from the front as he once did, Stefan now works behind the scenes, guiding his son with a rare combination of fierce dedication and hard-won wisdom. 

Liam’s career is budding, and with a father like Stefan, there’s little doubt that his potential is boundless.

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"Some riders have been very negative about my approach to racing but they should not forget I am still the most winning guy with titles," he told Gate Drop. "I think the way my dad taught me to become champion is not a bad method. I hope I can do the same with Liam that my dad did with me and I hope that the others will one day know what I have tried to do with them and teach them back then."