Well. Where to start.
Scott Beaumont’s goal for 2019 was to win the BMX and 4X World Championships in the same year. Something that has never been done before.
What unfolded was not in the plan.
The race took place on Friday 26th July at the UCI BMX World Championships. Scott went unbeaten in his qualifying races. He was on fire.
In his quarter final he again made a great start but got a bit caught up in turn one. It was a challenging race for Scot but at the line he did enough to transfer to the semi final. It highlighted just how delicate BMX racing is and the smallest mistake can lose so much time.
In the semi final, whilst Scott was in second, another rider lost control on the takeoff of the double jump on the second straight and hit Scott side on. The resulting crash was unbelievable. Thrown like a rag doll it was a huge crash. Medics were quickly with Scott and treating him on the track.
He was then rushed to the medical centre onsite. The injury Scott sustained was an open fracture, dislocation of his right thumb. His entire thumb joint was hanging out. It was truly gruesome. The doctors on site tried to put the dislocation back into place but with no luck. They then administered local anaesthetic and tried again. In agony Scott was desperate for the dislocation to go back in. It wouldn’t. So it was straight into an ambulance and with lights on straight to hospital.
Scott was rushed through for x rays. Then the doctors administered further local anaesthetic to try and get the bones back in place. At this stage his thumb was starting to turn black from all the bleeding and swelling. They were unable to get it back in. Scott nearly blacked out on the bed. With all the pulling, hi thumb joint was now even more exposed and so the forms were quickly signed by Scott’s fiance Holly and he was rushed into the operating theatre. There was a 50/50 chance of Scott losing his thumb at this stage.
2 hours later and the operation was a success. The thumb joint back in place, colour restored to his thumb and the very real threat of having his thumb removed was now reduced.
Due to the thumb joint being exposed for so long, Scott then had to stay in hospital for 48 hours whist anti bionics were administered through a drip to try and combat the high risk of infection.
On Sunday afternoon Scott was discharged and the team drove straight back home.
On Monday morning Scott met up with his doctor to work out a plan. It started with going straight to hospital for a fresh x ray, re dressing and examination. The 2 doctors on Monday agreed that Scott would need 12 weeks to recover from this injury. A trip to Core Clinics afterwards filled him with more hope. Some work on his hand to reduce the swelling was the starting point.
On Tuesday, Scott headed straight to another doctor to seek out an alternative diagnosis. Starting every conversation with each doctor by saying on Thursday I have qualifying for the 2019 UCI 4X World Championships maybe wasn’t doing him any favours. However. By Tuesday afternoon he had a doctor saying that by racing this weekend in Italy, the risk of infection in the joint wouldn’t particularly increase and that in 9 weeks he could start training again. When asked if it was even remotely possible to race this weekend he said no. The pain would be too much. Another trip to Core Clinics and some positive talk.
Leaving Core Clinics, Scott was clear. He wanted to try riding his bike to see just how much pain he would be in and what adjustments he could make to his bike.
He had a roll around, did a couple of wheelies. Stopped. Looked at the bike and was constantly thinking. You could see the cogs turning.
A long story short. We are now travelling through Europe in our Dethleffs motorhome.
