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TAREK RASOULI / TARA LLANES / JOHNNY WADDELL / SAUL RAISIN / PAUL CRAKE STEVE PEAT / OENONE WOOD / CADEL EVANS / IRINA KALENTIEVA |
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Saul Raisin got married on the beach of Maui, Hawaii on the 1st of December 2007. This symbolised an amazing revival for this former pro road cyclist who, just a year and a half earlier, was re-learning how to eat and walk. Saul was having a good year of racing in 2006, with a stage win in the Malaysian Le Tour de Langkawi and 17th overall in the Tour of California. On April 4th, he was racing in the Circuit de la Sarthe in France. Two kilometres from the finish he crashed heavily, landing on his head and braking his hip and collarbone. It was a scary few days after the crash. His brain was seriously injured and initially it looked like he could go either way. Saul woke from his coma six days later. “My first thoughts were flashes in time. I remember seeing my dad, then everything went dark, I’d see my mom and then darkness again.” But it was a long, slow grind back to normal life. “I was in a sleep status for a long time. It wasn’t until two months after the crash that I realised I’d had a brain injury and was in a coma, I read about it on the internet after I’d checked some emails.” He began training on the road again in November ‘06, “For a long time I didn’t think it was possible, I figured even riding a bike was about as likely as me walking on the moon. Getting back on the bike again was magical, it was a dream come true. I was doing over twenty five hours a week on the stationary trainer before I got to ride on the road for the first time. I worked so hard for that day, I felt like I was flying.”
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Having achieved what he thought almost impossible, Saul attended the Credit Agricole team training camp in January ’07 with a plan to return to pro cycling. Things were looking promising until a pivotal day in November. Following neuro-psych tests it was decided he couldn’t race again because the risks to his health were too great. He documented the day on his website, “My dreams to be a professional cyclist are dead. I do not know where to begin…I always say that if you do your best in anything be happy and content knowing you did your best…I’m content that I did my best.” Saul told his friends and family during his recovery that if he ever lived a normal life again he’d want to help people in a similar situation. Through this he started the Raisin Hope Foundation. The Foundation has organised the annual Raisin Hope Ride to raise awareness of the cause. “The ride symbolises celebrating life – le Viet et Beau! Life is Beautiful! I want to send out the message and tell people to never give up.” “With my new life comes an opportunity for me to have more of an impact on people’s lives. For that I’m very grateful and lucky. I’m excited about my new life.” “Life always gets better! Sometimes I feel like the luckiest man in the world.” |
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