#7_Сrash

Neil Hawker - hero story. The original plan was to give myself a new challenge from leaving the army and that was Dakar.
I entered my first rally in 2015 in Serres Greece and was instantly hooked to the whole concept of the racing cross country reading the roadbook.
I competed in the British championship enduro for bike time and training as the rally is too expensive and in the final year run-up to Dakar, it was all about fundraising, logistics, and a qualifying rally and my first desert rally in Africa the Merzouga rally.
The most difficult part of Dakar was just getting to the start line.
The costs and logistics are huge and seem unreachable but by finding sponsors and fundraising I got there.
- The Crash-
It all started great I was riding well and passed and caught up with a good bunch of riders the terrain suited me as it was a little more technical and I managed to get a rhythm going after a few hours of riding it was time to refuel and into the 15min of neutralization.
With a full bike and just under 300km to go, I headed off into the desert and it was fast / super fast as we rode up through a dry lake bed for 30km.
We headed off of the fast straight lines into dunes and fast sandy track and this is all where it goes wrong.
At high speed in deep sand on a straight-line track I hit a hard patch that I think was camel grass, the bike swapped side to side and I was unable to save it throwing me into the ground.
I landed on my head and shoulder the impact giving me a blackout moment hearing voices I didn’t really know what I was doing but being me I said I was ok knowing I wasn’t which in hindsight I was a danger to myself. The crash had broken the top of my humerus which definitely isn’t funny!
My elbow had smashed into my ribs and I was in a bad way!
Adrenaline is the best drug Ever!
With help from fellow competitor Benji Melot I got back in the bike and rode the hardest 150km+ Iv ever ridden to the end of the special.
I was relieved to be at the end of the special and then had 150km of Road to the bivouac in Hail city and this proved to be a very difficult journey as my body began to shut down and I came to understand that my Dakar was over being sick in my helmet I went into a shock and as soon as I realized I was safe in the bivouac I was useless and was taken straight to the medical team.
Later, in a hospital bed, I recalled the accident in frames. I realized that when I was in flight, I hit my knee hard on the handlebars of a motorcycle. Luckily my knee was not injured and the carbon frame of the brace defensive it out.
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This film is made by Neil Hawker, UK.
original version • Extreme sports knee br...
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