Rebelle Rally Competitor Brings Public Lands Mission to Motorsports

SPRINGDALE, Utah, Oct. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the Rebelle Rally, and teammates Kristian Rene and Kathryn Goacher will make history as the first to carry a national park mission into the desert through a partnership with the Zion National Park Forever Project while competing in an INEOS Grenadier.

The Rebelle Rally, which takes place Oct. 8-18, includes 1,600 miles of deserts and mountains, 200 hidden checkpoints, and nothing but maps and a compass to guide competitors. In a decade, it has become the longest and most challenging off-road navigation rally raid in the United States, and from its very beginning, it carried a deeper promise: preservation.

From the very beginning, the Rebelle Rally has had to prove itself to land managers across the West. Permits to cross places like Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley and thousands of miles of Bureau of Land Management terrain are not guaranteed. The rally must demonstrate that it brings greater value than just another organized event. That expectation has shaped the Rebelle's ethos: endurance alone isn't enough. Competitors are accountable to the land they traverse, and stewardship is the price of passage.

This October, teammates Kristian Rene and Kathryn Goacher are reviving that promise. Rene enters as an official ambassador for the Zion National Park Forever Project, the nonprofit partner of Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks, Pipe Spring and Dixie National Forest. It is the first time a Rebelle competitor has formally carried a national park foundation into the race.

"Driving across this land isn't just about checkpoints. It's about carrying a covenant forward," Rene said. "Public lands are the story of who we are as a country. The Rebelle asks us to push our limits, but it also asks us to be accountable to the land we cross. That's the same responsibility Zion Forever holds, and it's why I chose the Grenadier. Both stand for carrying forward what lasts."

Their rally vehicle, the INEOS Grenadier, underscores that connection between land and responsibility. A modern heir to the classic working 4x4, the Grenadier reflects the lineage of machines long relied on by farmers, rangers, and explorers. Built as a tool, not a toy, it mirrors Zion Forever's mission: to protect what endures for generations to come.

"Every mile we drive reminds us that these landscapes aren't guaranteed for the next generation," Goacher added. "That's why bringing Zion Forever into the Rebelle matters. It makes the rally about more than finishing. It's about protecting what we love."

The timing is urgent. Public lands are one of the most contested conversations in America today, facing ecological strain and widening funding gaps. Zion Forever fills that gap, funding projects that restore land, protect species, and educate future stewards.

The Rebelle Rally also affirms this ethos through Rebelle Impact, a program championing sustainable technologies, environmental ethics, and partnerships with organizations like Tread Lightly! Together, Zion Forever, the Grenadier, and the Rebelle carry forward a truth that has always been there: exploration is not the opposite of preservation. It's what keeps it alive.

This first-of-its-kind partnership signals a shift: motorsports can be more than competition. They can be a platform for conservation, leadership, and national stewardship, values as enduring as the lands themselves.

Follow Kristian Rene and Kathryn Goacher's journey in the Rebelle Rally and learn more about supporting the mission of Zion Forever at zionpark.org.

About Zion Forever Project

The Zion National Park Forever Project is the official nonprofit partner of Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Pipe Spring National Monument, and the Dixie National Forest. For nearly a century, Zion Forever has worked alongside the National Park Service to conserve and enhance these treasured public lands for current and future generations. Through philanthropic support, Zion Forever funds critical projects that improve today's visitor experience, inform tomorrow's stewards through education, and protect forever the natural and cultural resources of the greater Zion region. Every donation and every purchase in a Zion Forever store directly supports this mission, ensuring that these extraordinary landscapes remain welcoming, inspiring, and resilient for all.

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• Driver Kathryn Goacher behind the wheel of the INEOS Grenadier during rally preparations. Photo by Trevor Lyden.
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• Team #198: Navigator Kristian Rene (left) and Driver Kathryn Goacher (right) stand with their competition rig ahead of the 10th anniversary Rebelle Rally. Photo by Trevor Lyden.
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• Team #198 — Kristian Rene and Kathryn Goacher — navigating the American West, where the Rebelle Rally's spirit of endurance meets its roots in preservation. Photo by Trevor Lyden.
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SOURCE Zion Forever Project; Kristian Rene