Former BMX world champion Sam Willoughby celebrating small wins in battle to walk again
BMX racer Sam Willoughby says he is encouraged by small gains in his recovery every day as he continues his fight to walk again four months after his training crash in the US.
BMX racer Sam Willoughby says he is encouraged by small gains in his recovery every day as he continues his fight to walk again four months after his training crash in the US.
The 25-year-old former world champion was seriously injured at the Chula Vista track in September when he was left without feeling from the chest down.
After four months in hospital and rehabilitation, Willoughby has now returned to his home in San Diego which has been modified with a lift and is fitted out with equipment to aid his recovery.
“It’s just a slow process and the biggest thing for me is trying to reward myself or give myself credit for the little, little gains that you get,” Willoughby said.
“Even though the average person wouldn’t see them, it’s just little things like doing an extra rep of a sit-up or a little extra flicker of something.
“It’s been really good to be in my home environment and around friends, but mainly it’s just nice to have the freedom to get on my own couch.
“And we’ve got a really good set up here rehab wise, so I can do quite a bit at home where it’s nice to have the dog around.
“I found it a little tricky coming home because the one thing I’ve found the hardest is going to your normal restaurants or coffee shops and being a bit different for the moment, so that was a little hard mentally to get over first.”
Willoughby isn’t putting a timeline on when he hopes to walk again but says that remains the long-term goal.
“You’ve got to do the work and see what happens, but I’m confident it will work itself out here, it may take a bit of time but I feel like everything I’ve seen so far is positive.”
Full interview in The Advertiser on Saturday.