The partner of Finke Desert Race rider Matthew Bielefeld has shared a heartbreaking tribute after the 27-year-old was killed while competing in one of Australia’s toughest motorsport events.
The Finke Desert Race is one of Australia’s most famous off-road events and this year marked its 50th running through the rugged desert country south of Alice Springs.
Bielefeld died after a crash during the opening leg of the iconic desert race between Alice Springs and Aputula/Finke on Sunday.
In the days since the tragedy, tributes have poured in for the popular Alice Springs local, who has been remembered as a talented sportsman, a devoted partner and a man whose personality lit up every room he entered.
His partner, Rhylee Stephen, revealed the couple’s final goodbye before she headed south to meet him at the halfway point of the race.
‘To my best friend, soulmate, partner in crime, my love, my handsome man, and now my beautiful angel in the sky,’ she wrote on Instagram.
Matthew Bielefeld’s partner Rhylee Stephen described him as her soulmate, best friend and partner in crime forever
The Alice Springs local had spent months preparing for his second Finke Desert Race with brother Scott
Stephen collected Bielefeld’s Survivor’s Spike, which she promised to keep close to her heart forever
‘There are simply not enough words to express the impact you had on the lives of everyone around you, especially mine.
‘You had the most beautiful soul, inside and out.
‘Even on your hardest days, you wore the biggest smile and always put others before yourself without a second thought.’
Stephen said Bielefeld had spent months preparing for the event and could hardly contain his excitement on race morning.
‘Sunday, June 7, was your day, the Finke race. Your blue eyes sparkled with excitement, and you couldn’t wait to cross that finish line and earn your Survivor’s Spike,’ she wrote.
‘I watched you spend months preparing, dedicating countless hours to something you were so passionate about. It was all you talked about because it was what you loved most.
‘We said goodbye before I headed down to Finke to meet you at the halfway mark, never knowing that my entire world was about to change forever.’
She said she still struggled to comprehend a future without him.
Fellow riders left tributes after the death of the popular competitor at the landmark race event
Competitors and officials observed a minute’s silence before racing resumed following the devastating fatal accident
‘I still cannot comprehend a life without you in it, or the fact that we won’t get to continue building the future we dreamed of together.
‘You did not deserve this. You had so much more life to live, so many more dreams to chase, and so much more love to give.’
Stephen later collected Bielefeld’s Survivor’s Spike, an award traditionally earned by competitors who complete the gruelling event.
‘I will keep [the spike] close to my heart forever,’ she said.
‘I promise to carry your legacy with pride, to tell your story, and to live in a way that would make you proud.
‘I will miss you forever. I love you so much my beautiful angel. Until we meet again my love.’
Bielefeld’s family also released an emotional statement following the tragedy.
‘Matthew was our beautiful boy and a brother to Scott and a partner to Rhylee. If anyone knew Matthew, you’d know he was a character larger than life himself,’ they said.
Tributes continue to pour in for the young rider whose death shocked Australia’s motorsport community
‘He lit up any room that he’d walk into. He was an all-round sportsman and he was so excited to return home as an Alice Springs boy to compete in his second Finke with his brother.’
Northern Territory Police said officers performed CPR before paramedics arrived, but despite their efforts Bielefeld died at the scene.
Major Crash investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the incident and a report will be prepared for the Coroner.
Finke Desert Race president Antony Yoffa described the death as a tragedy for the motorsport community.
‘We mourn the loss and we feel for the family, and on behalf of the committee we’d like to express our condolences to family, extended family and friends of the deceased,’ he said.
The remaining competitors observed a minute’s silence before racing resumed.
Six-time King of the Desert winner David Walsh, who knew Bielefeld personally, said the loss had hit close to home.
‘I knew Matty pretty well and he’s pretty good friends with my brother, so it’s definitely touched home pretty hard,’ Walsh said.
