My Triumph….
Throughout my eighteen years of life, I have always been very active, always involved with sports and anything that has to do with presence of speed. By the age of 18, I achieved two black belts. One was in Mu Duk Kwan and my most recent was Tae Kwan Do. I spent my high school career playing rugby with some of the best guys I can call my friends. Since I was five years old I began to develop a passion for motocross. I got my first bike at the age of five and have been riding ever since and even started to compete at local race tracks.
Furthermore, while I was at Inland Empire in the week of April. I asked my boss if I could get April 24, 2015 off, the day before my nineteenth birthday so I could go dirt bike riding with my best friend Nathan. He kindly accepted my request.
That friday morning of going riding, I woke up with the excitement I always had since I was younger of having a great day to look forward too. I arrived at Milestone Motocross Park where I met Nathan and as soon as I arrived I could smell the crisp morning air and the sweet smell of race fuel coming from the clouds of exhaust seeping through the pipes of the bikes. We unloaded our bikes and put our gear on piece by piece. We look over at the tracks near by and can see the dirt looking prime. The dirt was perfectly packed and fresh. Before I swung my leg over the bike I always pray that it’s going to be a good day and that we always get home safe. As I got on the bike I had this weird and unusual feeling and I told Nathan “I feel like I’m going to be going home early today like it’s going to be a short day of riding”. None of us put much thought into it. We began riding on the track, having a good time as usual racing back and forth always trying to outdo each other. We got off the track for a quick rest and to grab something to drink. We stretched out our arms and legs to ease the fatigue. We began to ride again but this time we were just taking it easy but we were still clearing all the jumps on the track. Then the unthinkable happened.
I woke up looking at the clear blue sky and a wet cold feeling of dirt on my back. I looked around and I was surrounded by men looking over me. I felt fine, I had no pain or anything. Nathan was there trying to find out what was wrong. For some reason I reached for my legs and it felt like I was grabbing something squishy and felt odd. I told everyone “what is this I’m grabbing you guys?” immediately their eyes blew up like balloons and they started to cut my clothes and gear and told me to stay still. I looked over at Nathan and told him to grab my phone back at the truck so I could call my mom. He hands me the phone and I begin telling her that I crashed on my bike and I think it’s pretty bad. She thought I was playing around because my voice was so calm and I sometimes kid around. I felt bad because it was a real and serious situation but I knew she wouldn’t believe me. I handed the phone back to Nathan so he could tell her.
They loaded me into the ambulance. On the ride to the hospital I could feel every bump with the sirens in the background. I remember crying to God to help and protect me to comfort me from the fear I was feeling. One of the EMT’s asked me if I was a man of God and I said “yes” he began to pray with me, my eyes were flowing like rivers down my cheeks and the flood of peace covered me like a blanket. I arrived at the Arrowhead Medical Hospital and I remember seeing my family there. As they were about to take me into surgery I looked over to the left and saw my sister by my side with tears falling from her face. Its very rare to see her cry. I held her hand and told her “I was going to be okay” it killed me to see my sister cry the way she was.
The next morning I turned nineteen in my hospital bed to be welcomed by all of my family and friends. The doctor came in and told us that I had broken my back at T6-T7, bruised lungs and I had lacerations in and around my mouth. I remember looking at them all and telling them “I hope you guys can all accept me for the way I am now”.
Fortunately, God gave me the strength and the willpower to get up and go to therapy and workout hard to get my life going again. I knew I wanted to live life again and I didn’t want this new life of being in a wheelchair to slow me down. The doctors told me that I wouldn’t be able to go home for six months. With hard work, prayer and the grace of God I was home within three weeks.
