Leading motorcyclist vows to ride again after horror smash

Tom McHale. Tom McHale, a rising star of the racing world, suffered life-changing injuries after his lost control of his motorcycle during a road race at the Macau Grand Prix in November. 

The 32-year-old from Grange was thrown off his bike, which was travelling 150mph, and was left with 24 broken bones, a major jaw injury and haemotomas on the brain and liver.

Three months later and Mr McHale is on the mend but still has a long way to go before he is able to ride again. 

He said: "I'm not too bad but it's going to be a long road to recovery. 

"I've got a lot of operations to come. I've torn two nerves off my spine so my hand doesn't work and I have no feeling in my arm. 

"I can walk about a bit, but not for long, and I'm just starting to learn a lot more about my injuries."

Mr McHale is still in regular medical care and has to make the long trip to Wigan three times a week for treatment.

Undertaking almost constant physiotherapy to strengthen his hand and arm, Mr McHale is determined to make a full recovery but doctors fear he may not ride again. 

He said: "The aim is to get back on it. 

"It definitely won't be this year but I don't really know when yet. 

"I was told I possibly won't ride again but my aim is to get back on it in the next couple of years."

In order to hit his target, Mr McHale is exercising for three to four hours a day to keep his body mobile and to prepare himself for getting back to racing and back to work. 

He said: "I've just got to get racing again. It's my passion and what I like doing. 

"I was just getting up to a good, professional standard so I want to keep progressing."

Despite sustaining his injuries on the track, Mr McHale has no fear returning to the sport and believes his experience was just par  for  the course. 

He said: "It's the adrenaline of road racing. 

"I wish it hadn't happened but it's happened to everyone that races. 

"Some get off with it lightly but others don't."