Thirteen-time South African superbike champion Clint Seller won his first race back in Gqeberha, three months after emergency spinal surgery.
Seller had to pull out of this year’s national championship to have the operation. Doctors told him that one wrong movement or another crash could leave him paralysed.
“My spinal cord was 60 to 65% blocked already, and it was getting worse,” Seller told IOL Sport. “If I crashed or had a bad movement in my neck, I would have become paralysed.”
The problem started after a high-speed crash in Spain. Seller felt something odd in his neck but kept riding.
He first noticed a serious problem on his training bike. “The first time I noticed an issue was when my hand would not let go of the clutch while I was entering a turn,” he said. He said he thought it was only a pinched nerve.
Seller tried different treatments so he could race in the season opener in March. When he got on his King Price Xtreme race bike, his hand could not hold the handlebar.
“That’s when I realised something was very wrong,” he said.
An MRI scan showed that the crash had damaged his spine. The disc between his C5 and C6 vertebrae was pushing out and pressing on his spinal cord.
Seller said he cried after getting the MRI results. “I was told I might never ride again, or get back the feeling I had lost in my body,” he said.
“I was not only scared for my career, but for my family life and being able to play with my kids. It was a really, really scary time,” he said.
Surgery was the only option. Seller then went through three months of rehabilitation. Missing races meant he could no longer win the national title this year, so he focused on his recovery with support from his family and team.
When he returned to racing in Gqeberha, he crossed the finish line in first place.
“It was awesome because I felt like myself,” Seller said. “I didn’t even think about how to move my body; it just did it.”
He said he felt tired after the first race because he had not raced for a while, but he was happy to be back.
Seller now mentors younger riders in the King Price Xtreme team. He is telling them not to ride through pain.
“Don’t be afraid to say that you’re hurt,” he said. “Racing is our job, but we have to listen to our bodies and look after ourselves if we want long careers.”
Seller said the feeling in his body has fully returned. He said his goal for next season is to win back the championship.
“Now, my longer-term goal is to win back the championship I lost because of the injury,” he said.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Sport. Image: IOL Sport. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Sports desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Tiyani Mathebula writes about sport for Tzaneen Voice. Tiyani covers Bafana Bafana, the Springboks, the Proteas and the PSL, along with athletics, tennis and local club sport. Match reports and previews focus on results, team news, fixtures and what each game means for South African teams and fans.