Today marks one year since my accident in the excel.
This past year has been incredibly tough with the challenges I have faced. Physically my back is healing but there have been many long days and nights of pain and discomfort. I still struggle with discomfort from day to day but have been able to work out ways to manage it and it is improving slowly.
Mentally things have been tough to. The first three months in the back brace I lost most of my independence, needing help to shower, getting in and out of bed and even getting dressed. The lifting restrictions would mean I had to quit my job. These along with lots of nights spent with the accident playing over in my head would make for quite the mental struggle. But thanks to my parents, the pastor of my church and lots of other great people in my life I have been able to get on top of this mental struggle as well as overcoming my fear of getting back behind the wheel.
The next step is to go for a MRI next month and an appointment with the specialist which will determine if my back has healed correctly. Next will be physio to rebuild strength in my back and arms as well as working on my fitness to return to racing and work.
I AM GOING BACK RACING.
I have spent many hours wondering if I ever wanted to see another race car but I can’t give up on my dream to go racing. But my family and I have made the decision to not return to excel racing. While I am not exactly sure what my return will look like at this stage, we do have another car to build upon but this will depend on when we are in the position to build it.
I believe that there can be good come out of my accident, so what can other drivers learn from me. It is my belief that I did not have the waist belts on my harness tight enough. While I will never know if they would have made any difference I encourage drivers to check all their belts to make sure they are fitted correctly and pulled tight.
Secondly, if you are running in a class that doesn’t require a HANS device I would recommend making it your top priority to purchase one. I 100 percent believe that my HANS device saved my life.
Unfortunately accidents are a part of this sport we all love. And even though a driver might walk away from an accident with no physical injuries, it is important to remember that it can leave mental scars on not only the driver but officials, team members and spectators.
I would like to thank all the people that have supported me over the last year with visits, phone calls or messages. Everyone’s support has made those long days that little bit easier.