Originally Posted on www.mostatemx.com PIT TALK - March 5, 2008

Posted - 03/05/2008 :  9:24:37 PM       WHAT IS A MIRACLE?

The dictionary defines the word miracle as an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause. In other words a miracle is when someone wins the lottery, a miracle is when your girlfriend decided she won’t dump you even though you forgot your 3 week anniversary, a miracle is when that new set of graphics goes on your bike without a single air bubble… As some of you may know I have recently switched to a new physical therapist and location closer to home. We work hard every session, but instead of working hard jumping curbs, transferring in and out of my chair, or pushing my wheels up and down hills….we work hard to walk. When I walk again I have a new goal. I plan to be a professional cyclist, you see I am currently riding a stationary bike, at 4 RPH…yes I said RPH…that is 4 revolutions per hour. Don’t laugh now, they always said that tortoise wins the race, and I plan to put the theory to the test. We play catch to work with my abs and sitting up straight. The ball is a little orange ball with a smiley face. Did your mother ever tell you not to judge a book by its cover? Well don’t ever judge a ball by it’s size. This cute little ball weighs nothing less than 3 pounds, and feels slightly less than delightful when you decide to be “butter-fingers” with it. I was given a electrical stimulator which I attach to my legs to work the muscles and prepare to walk. However while building muscle, it also turns any frown upside down…simply apply sticky pads one to each cheek, and apply high electrical current….personal experience will tell you that I have never hurt worse, or smiled bigger. I am also strapped into a what appears as a faulty parachuting device, and suspended from a frame where I stand with a walker and attempt time after time to hold myself up. Today I tried something new, I got onto my hands and knees to stretch out my back muscles. My therapist said to me, “Now, don’t get discouraged, I’m not expecting anything major YET, but just try crawling backwards.” “Sure, why not,” I thought to myself. I slowly looked down at my legs, the legs that once ran the high school mile, the legs that once stood me tall to hug my family, the legs that once took me around talking to my friends while walking the track…the legs that once….and at that very moment my right leg lifted, slid back, and sat down….and then the left leg lifted, slid back, and sat down…. I take back what I said, a miracle is not when someone wins the lottery, a girlfriend forgives her boyfriend, or you get bubble free graphics…a miracle is when a kid who was once told he would never walk again, who would never get any better than the way he lay in ICU….turns around to his therapist one and half years later to hear the words, “Mike…you just crawled…now all that’s left is to stand up and walk…..” Yes folks, it’s true…I officially crawled today. I am able to crawl the length of our therapy mat backwards. Forward is a little harder, but I am making progress and working hard to get there. Both are EXTREMELY slow at this time, but I look at it like this…if I am ever car-jacked of my wheelchair, and there is a police station the distance of my therapy mat away…I can easily crawl backwards over to it and report the stolen vehicle within an hour of the crime. I just want everyone to know that I would not be where I am today without all of you supporting me with your friendships, your thoughts, wishes, and prayers. I cannot thank you all enough. To my Mom, Dad, Karlee, Grandma GG, Grandma EI, and Grandpa “Packaw” in heaven, I want you all to know how much I love you all, and there is no need to worry any longer, it’s only time, I will walk again….I will walk again. -MIKE GARRISON #247-

Originally posted on www.mostatemx.com - PIT TALK - August 27, 2007

One year ago, today…

I loaded up my truck, with one of my best friends for what would be the race day that I will never forget. It was the best race day of my life. I would win the first moto of the 250 Intermediate class, I was riding faster than I had ever ridden before, I was given a perfectly prepped track, and amazingly enough I would even pull a holeshot that day.



Moto #1 for the Big Bike Open class, I pulled up to the gate with my bike smoking just a little, and I said to the guys, “If I catch on fire in this race, will somebody stop to put me out!” We all laughed a little and then lined up. The gate dropped and off we went. I look to my left and saw no one. A perfect holeshot again….I thought. Out of nowhere from the inside some punk kid on a TWO STROKE 250 rails by me! Oh wait….that was my best friend Derek. As we head up the first uphill Derek is in first I am in second. The kid always had a way of roosting the crap out of me everytime we rode together, and he wasn’t cutting me any slack this time either. As I dodged his roost for about two corners I said to myself, “This has got to stop! I gotta pass him NOW!” As we head down the famous “DC Downhill” I go wide, setting up for a block pass at the bottom. It didn’t work. We headed around the next left hand sweeper, as my feet are flyin’ and the bike is swapping left to right I try and pass on the outside. Again, it didn’t work. We head into the switchbacks, and as we come out of the right hander Derek goes wide….real wide…wide enough that my little brain said, “PASS!!!!!!” As we come out of the corner headed towards the double I sweep a little wider than I had anticipated and as I look over just as we are taking off…I was close enough to Derek we could have been riding the same bike! We hit, and both go down.



As I come back to my senses, I realized that I couldn’t feel the lower half of my body. However, I wasn’t scared. It was almost like something inside told me it was a new beginning, a new direction. There was no longer the worries or pressure behind going fast, winning, and being the best. Instantly I thought of all the things I had wanted to do, but was too busy racing. I want to run a track, and spend the countless hours tilling, watering, and building for a turnout anywhere from 30 to 300 bikes. I want to be an artist, and create designs and graphics for the racing industry. I want to announce, just like my hero Art Eckman. I want to be your everyday kid who goes out on the weekends and does the occasional lame burnout to impress the ladies. I would have never seen, nor acted upon any of that had this day one year ago not happened.



Today, I have plans to rebuild my track behind my house as soon as I am able, and hold prep practices. I own 247DesignWorks and design and create generic and custom decals for the motocross and r/c car racing industry. I am now the race director and announcer at Real R/C Raceway, I announce when I can at various mx races, and I have been given the offer to announce the RC PRO Series National Championship this November in Texas. Most importantly, I am your everyday kid, who is burning out wheelchair style, doing my best with cheesy lines to hit on the ladies.



One year ago, today….

I learned that life isn’t like motocross, it’s not about winning and being the best, it is about being happy…truly happy. I also learned who would bring me jars of peanut butter just out of ICU, who would bring an entire town to visit in a night, who would bring me cookies and cards, who would bring me magazines and movies, who would bring me endless hours of laughs and jokes, who would drive home from college every weekend to sit by my side holding my hand, who would find out that Sonic waitresses know me as the Jalepeno Kid and bring me jalepeno poppers, who would bring me pizza instead of cafeteria food, who would surprise me with Outback Steakhouse at ten o’clock at night, who would send prayers and thoughts of hope to me everyday, and most importantly…..I learned what true friends are. And true friends are what every single one of you are to me. I cannot thank you all enough for what you have done to help not only me, but my entire family. It’s sometimes easy to overlook all of the friendships and support people give, so this thank you is not only for this past year of my recovery, but also all of the support and help the last thirteen years of my racing career. Every night when just before bed, I always say my prayers, and every night I smile, and thank God for such wonderful friends...



Sincerely,

Mike Garrison



PS> Just for the record, for those of you wondering, I have witnesses who will testify….at the time of our crash, I was a wheel length ahead…putting me first, Derek SECOND!