I have been a motorcycle road racer for many years. Picture closed circuits and leather suits with knee sliders. The kind of gear that protects you when you lean over and press your knee into the asphalt at triple-digit speeds. I love road racing, and crashing is part of the game. I have done so more than a few times. Because of this sport, I have been hospitalized for broken ribs, a chipped pelvis and once a bruised kidney that made me urinate blood for a week. Because of this sport, once I was unconscious for four minutes after a last lap entanglement.
When Caution Becomes Paralysis
Key Takeaways:
- The author, an experienced motorcycle road racer, credits the reflexive skills and calm under pressure developed through his sport with saving his life during a wind-shear-induced plane crash.
- Paradoxically, he also grapples with the idea that the same racing culture, which emphasizes pushing limits and ignoring risk, might have contributed to the circumstances leading to the accident.
- Despite knowing the exact cause of his plane crash (likening it to a "low side" racing accident), he experiences profound, persistent fear when flying, similar to the debilitating anxiety caused by unpredictable "high side" crashes.
- He is currently navigating the struggle between rational caution and irrational fear as he attempts to resume flying, even though it impacts his ability to engage in his other passion, racing.
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