DexterRicky James - Paraplegic MotoX, Car Racing and now Ironman
August 27th 2008 05:38
Ricky James - Extreme Sports Hero
Ricky James - Proving that guts is the fundamental ingredient of Extreme
For most regular humanoids on the planet extreme sports are a massive challenge. A physical dare that demands the conquest of fear and often results in a lack of achievement due to accepting the limitations instilled on us at birth. Then there is 19 year old Ricky James.
At the age of 5 Ricky began riding motorcycles and soon harboured dreams of being a world champion. Obsessively pursuing his goal of becoming a top Motocross rider at 13 he was competing and with 3 seasons he was selected as part of Honda’s Factory Amateur Motocross Team.
Ricky in the Baja 500
Steadily rising the ranks on March 8th he made his first appearance as part of the crew and placed in the top 5 during the qualifying rounds. Two days later tragedy struck when a violent in competition crash shattered his T7 Vertebrae and rendered the upcoming athlete a paraplegic, he was 15.
Undergoing a risky surgery and then an intensive rehabilitation programme which took only 5 weeks, Ricky determinedly continued on with his life plan despite what many considered an extremely limiting disability.
Now it’s 3 years later and James has continued to ride competitively and even completed in the endurance test that is the Baja 500. Add to that his Silver medal at the Summer X Games and you begin to get an idea of why I used the word HERO in the headline of this post.
In the last 12 months Ricky has also began racing vehicles of the four wheeled variety with huge success. Taking pole position 8 times he has won 3 events and is a definite contender to win the NASCAR West Coast Pro Truck Series.
As if that isn’t enough the wheel chair packing, odds beating story seems to set to begin its greatest chapter later this year with Ricky James now in training for the Ironman Triathlon to be held in Hawaii.
Entering the hand cycle class he will attempt to finish the marathon event under the tutorage of former MX champ turned Ironman David Bailey. (Who also suffered a severe spinal trauma in 1987)
Speaking to E365.com James has said:
“I’m excited and honoured to have this opportunity to show young people that suffer from any form of disability that, with perseverance, anything is achievable"
.For this writer and many others around the world James is an inspiration, proving that “impossible” is just a state of mind. For more information please visit RickyJames824.com and also check out his charity work for Liferollson.com
Video 1 - Ricky James in the Baja 500
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