Dreadful Stories about Cycling Injury
Dutch cyclist Monique van der Vorst is one very fortunate cyclist. At the age of 13 she was an extremely sporty child, who enjoyed playing hockey and tennis. Unfortunately, when she had to go into hospital for a routine operation on her ankle, she sustained considerable nerve damage to her left leg. This became paralysed from the hip down, ending all her dreams of becoming an accomplished athlete.
Undeterred, Monique learnt to master 'hand cycling', operating a specially modified bicycle where the wheels are powered from a crouching position by spinning the pedals by hand. She then went on to compete both nationally and internationally. Kitted in Holland's traditional orange, she won six European titles and three World Championship titles.
Tragedy overtook Monique once again that same year, when she was struck by a car. This time the damage was far more severe than her earlier leg injury. Her spinal cord was affected, leaving her paralysed from the waist down. Where lesser mortals might have wallowed in self-pity, Monique set about establishing herself as one of Holland's foremost Paralympic athletes. She went on to bag a silver medal during the 2008 Paralympic Games held in Beijing, China.
However, her remarkable story took another twist several years later. While training for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London and in apparently the best shape of her life, she suffered yet another accident. This time she collided with another cyclist. Immediately afterwards Monique's body went into spasm. Then, against all her wildest expectations, she began experiencing a tingling sensation in one of her feet. These long-suppressed feelings spread to her other one. In a matter of months Monique was able to walk around again.
Naturally, to say the Dutch cyclist is delirious with excitement is a bit of an understatement. In media interviews she finds it hard to encapsulate the sheer joy of being able to operate a bicycle normally after spending so many years confined to a wheelchair. Her entire worldview had undergone a revolutionary change in perspective.
The hand-operated cycle has been consigned to the back of the garage as she has mounted the regular model again. Not content with simply getting back into the saddle, Monique has now started training for competitive events. Earlier in 2012 she was signed by the Rabobank women's cycling team. This will give her the opportunity to train alongside some of the foremost women's cyclists in the world. Her ultimate goal is an Olympic medal. That would surely signify one of the greatest fight backs in the history of cycling.
Undeterred, Monique learnt to master 'hand cycling', operating a specially modified bicycle where the wheels are powered from a crouching position by spinning the pedals by hand. She then went on to compete both nationally and internationally. Kitted in Holland's traditional orange, she won six European titles and three World Championship titles.
Tragedy overtook Monique once again that same year, when she was struck by a car. This time the damage was far more severe than her earlier leg injury. Her spinal cord was affected, leaving her paralysed from the waist down. Where lesser mortals might have wallowed in self-pity, Monique set about establishing herself as one of Holland's foremost Paralympic athletes. She went on to bag a silver medal during the 2008 Paralympic Games held in Beijing, China.
However, her remarkable story took another twist several years later. While training for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London and in apparently the best shape of her life, she suffered yet another accident. This time she collided with another cyclist. Immediately afterwards Monique's body went into spasm. Then, against all her wildest expectations, she began experiencing a tingling sensation in one of her feet. These long-suppressed feelings spread to her other one. In a matter of months Monique was able to walk around again.
Naturally, to say the Dutch cyclist is delirious with excitement is a bit of an understatement. In media interviews she finds it hard to encapsulate the sheer joy of being able to operate a bicycle normally after spending so many years confined to a wheelchair. Her entire worldview had undergone a revolutionary change in perspective.
The hand-operated cycle has been consigned to the back of the garage as she has mounted the regular model again. Not content with simply getting back into the saddle, Monique has now started training for competitive events. Earlier in 2012 she was signed by the Rabobank women's cycling team. This will give her the opportunity to train alongside some of the foremost women's cyclists in the world. Her ultimate goal is an Olympic medal. That would surely signify one of the greatest fight backs in the history of cycling.
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