[- seb]

I hope this isn't in bad taste, but something just reminded me of this guy and his crash at MSA back in 2003. And I've no idea what happened to him after? I know he was in a coma for a few weeks and that's about it. Did a quick google but didn't find much useful info. What's he up to now, did he make a full recovery? I presume he's quit racing, not heard the name in years!

- seb

 

[trib]

he did make an amazing recovery considering how bad his crash was. I dont think he ever recovered fully enough to downhill competitively again but he did reach a stage where he could compete at and even win mtb enduro events. Santa cruz and redbull continued to sponsor him in this rehab and move to xc enduro racing, Waddel also wrote a column for australian magazine Clict so maybe try look them up for more info.

what happened to trigger that memory, nasty crash on your head? if so hope youre alreet

 

[Huck Banzai]

I hope this isn't in bad taste, but something just reminded me of this guy and his crash at MSA back in 2003. And I've no idea what happened to him after? I know he was in a coma for a few weeks and that's about it. Did a quick google but didn't find much useful info. What's he up to now, did he make a full recovery? I presume he's quit racing, not heard the name in years!

- seb

Definitely an amazing recovery, he rides for SC Syndicate lately. The following is quoted from his bio:

John Waddell
Endurance racer, X-C racer, Ambassador of International Goodwill, Syndicate Comic Relief Coordinator
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 160 pounds
Birthdate: 9/20/1980
Reborn (from coma): 7/21/2003
Hometown: Perth, Australia
Birthplace: Perth, Australia
Co-sponsors: Red Bull, Dragon Optics, Andrew Ivey Sports

"I don't have much of a singing voice, but I'm pretty extravagant. I mean extroverted..."

John Waddell spent 22 days in a coma after a horrendous crash at the 2003 Mont Sainte Anne World Cup race. When he awoke, the prognosis was still not good. He had gone from being one of the world's most prominent downhillers to an invalid. "It was pretty grim," he recalls. "They were saying things like 'you may not be able to go to the toilet by yourself' and 'you may not be able to use your left side again.'"

With the same hardheaded and persistent attitude that he had run at life before the accident ('I tried to play Australian Rules football, but they said I was too aggressive. I don't like rules...'), he set about his recovery. "I remember pretty far back, and the nurses were astounded at my rate of recovery. I was just zooming through things," he says with a laugh, before turning serious. "People don't realize you're never gonna be exactly the same as you were before a head injury."

Four short years later, Waddell has reinvented himself as an endurance racer. He placed 9th at the 2006 Australian 24-hour championships, and managed 2nd in the expert x-c race at the 2006 Sea Otter. Looking ahead to 2007, he wants to compete in the solo 24-hour World Championships. And he carries with him an almost evangelical perspective on life: "That accident gave me a totally different perception of life. I value life now on a different level than most people. Take nothing for granted."

"Becoming an endurance racer is a long process to begin with, especially for a downhiller. I'm happy with how I'm going..."

http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/08syndicate/

 

[- seb]

Sweetness, good to hear Nothing unpleasant triggered it, was just watching the Fabien Maribor vid and thinking to myself "damn DH needs some bigger jumps in it", and then I remembered...

 

[trib]

i was just looking up some of waddells results and came across a race he won in thredbo, australia. Down in 62nd place was Nathan Rennie, his sponsors list just reads 'lyn' his mums name. Pretty much all privateers rely on their parents to support them, but to actually put her name down as a sponsor and race team seems very sweet for a guy who most people see as a bit of an animal.

Best of luck to Waddell and hope we see him ripping at WC level one day, and also to Rennie, would be a shame for him to leave racing as some people are saying he will if things dont pick up for him this season

 

[dhr-racer]

oddly enough about 2 weeks back i ran into a chap that was in town with circ de solie. he was a physio guy from Australia and we got talking bikes, he said he had helped a guy at the clinic he worked at at one point and they couldnt believe how much better he got, when i asked the name it happened to be non other then johnny waddell himself. he said it was crazy what he pulled off after what happened to him

 

[ATOMICFIREBALL]

I was amazed to watch Johnny go through the nasty rock garden at Mt.SNOW soo fasst! Good to see him where he's at now riding & enjoying it!