Jonny Walker: I will come back stronger!
By Jason Bellinger on 27th Jul 16
It sort of feels like life is on hold right now. Every time I take a step forward, I end up going two back. Frustrated doesnt cut it.
I am of course referring to the sadly on-going debate that is my leg.
I was proper pumped to get the all-clear from my doctors to go racing again, but unfortunately it didn't last long when I got knocked out of the Red Bull Romaniacs before it really even began.
After sitting on the sidelines for about four months, I was excited for Romaniacs. I was feeling good about it. I knew that with only three weeks of preparation, I was going to be up against it but I do like a challenge and was feeling optimistic about things.
As defending champion, wearing the #1 plate at Romaniacs comes with a certain air of expectation, and I didn't honestly know where I'd fit in the grand scheme of things.
While I'd been rehabbing, everyone else was racing so I was behind the eight ball.
But the Romaniacs is a long race, and in a sense that gave me hope. I wasn't expecting to win, I did feel like I had a chance to, but I knew that with five proper days of racing, come the end of the week I'd be back on song and up to full speed, whatever the result.
But sometimes the best laid plans don't pan out like you'd hope. Relieved to get the prologue out of the way I set off on the first off-road day just keen to clock up the miles. I was riding ok, not my best, but just easing into that race environment pace. But then things took a knock - literally.
First I had a crash and it put me out of sorts, but then when riding in a group I clipped a tree stump hidden in some grass and that was the big crash that brought my race to a halt.
There was nothing I could do really, I couldn't have seen the stump and it was the type of crash you're just a passenger in. Unfortunately while being skittled down the track, I banged up my "bad leg” pretty good.
Immediately I knew I was done but limped on to service. There I was forced to stop.
It was a tough call to make, one I didn't want to make, but it was the only option available.
Right now it's back to recovery. I'm not 100 per cent sure when I'll be back but it won't be until things are properly right again. I'm hoping I'll be right for the next Red Bull event at Megawatt in September. Fingers crossed.
