BMX champion Sam Willoughby wins Tanya Denver Award for his positive attitude and resilience after life turned upside down

SAM Willoughby’s remarkable recovery thanks to his positive attitude and approach to rehabilitation from his US base has earned him the Tanya Denver Award.

DOCTORS gave Sam Willoughby no guarantees of his recovery when he broke his neck and was left without movement from the chest down in September, 2016.

Just over 12 months later, Willoughby is able to pedal a stationary bike, can crawl with ankle weights and can stand for 10 minutes which is long enough for him to marry fiancee Alise Post on New Year’s Eve this year.

BMX star Sam Willoughby with the revolutionary knee braces he will wear when he stands for his wedding in the US on New Year's Eve. Picture: Supplied

Sam Willoughby celebrates winning the Elite Men's Final at the UCI BMX World Championships at NIA Arena on May 26, 2012 in Birmingham, England. Picture: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

Willoughby’s remarkable recovery thanks to his positive attitude and approach to rehabilitation from his US base saw him win the Tanya Denver Award as part of The Advertiser and Channel Seven Sport Star of the Year Awards on Friday night.

The 25-year-old has won the top gong as SA’s brightest sport star twice — in 2009 and 2014 — when he became BMX world champion — but the Tanya Denver Award recognises resilience, determination, courage and endeavour.

And Willoughby — a two-time Olympian and silver medallist — has shown that in spades since his life was turned upside down after a training crash at Chula Vista just weeks after the Rio Olympics.

The BMX star from Trott Park fractured two vertebrae and compressed his spinal cord in the accident and was flown to hospital where surgeons removed his C6 vertebrae, replaced it with a titanium cage and fused his C5-C7 vertebrae using a plate and screws.

Sam Willoughby with fiance Alise Post. Picture: Instagram

He regained the use of his arms and once released from hospital began his rehabilitation towards his dream of one day being able to walk again.

“Progress-wise, the latest has been a lot of focus on standing and I am able to stand unassisted holding onto parallel bars for around 10 minutes now,” Willoughby told The Advertiser last week.

“I also recently got some knee braces to use for the wedding which allow me to stand and take some steps without worrying about my knees buckling.”

While Willoughby has been continuing his recovery, Alise has continued training and racing and this year became BMX world champion to go with her silver medal from the Rio Games.

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