Freestyle motocross rider refused to give up dream after paralyzing crash
Bruce Cook back jumping bikes on FMX circuit after losing use of both legs in 2014 accident
Bruce Cook doesn’t mind playing the role of an underdog who overcomes incredible odds to pursue his dreams. The 31-year-old Kelowna-born freestyle motocross racer thought his career was over when he lost the use of both legs while attempting a double front flip at a show at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ont., back in 2014. Within two years, he was back on the circuit, thanks to a special contraption that allows him to ride and do tricks.
“Some of the messages I get are literally from all over the world,” Cook said. “Some people are in chairs. Others are in similar situations.
“My message is don’t take everything in life for granted, be grateful for the day-to-day things and try never to give up. Never say ‘can’t’ — people love to use that word, but I don’t.”
Cook is among the FMX riders performing with Nitro Circus at a one-night-only show Friday at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna. Nitro Circus performs all over the world, and Cook can’t wait to come back home to an audience that will include his parents, two sisters and many lifelong friends.
“I’m really looking forward to being here,” he said. “I’ve been bragging about Kelowna and how nice it is, so the other riders and our Nitro family will finally have a chance to check it out and enjoy the Kelowna we all know and love.”
His love for the sport began when he was five years old. He grew up on a farm not far from Kelowna International Airport.
“My parents had some acreage, and I was building jumps and then bigger jumps.
“Kris Garwasiuk, who was pro at the time, I looked up to. He set up a ramp at my parents’ place, and when he was out of town I’d sneak onto it to practise and I got pretty good.
“My cousins raced pro motocross, but that wasn’t my thing. I wanted to hit the biggest jump on the track and do them over and over again, the things officials don’t really like in competition.”
By the time he was in middle school, this was his dream.
A graduate of Kelowna Secondary School, he played soccer as a kid, but his passion was always FMX. By the time he turned 18, he was travelling around Western Canada, Washington and Alaska, performing at small shows, music festivals and monster truck events. He admits that life on the road was “a bit of a culture shock at first.”
“Up until that point, I worked around the farm, I had a couple of jobs, and hey, I now get to go and ride my dirt bike on the weekend and make a little bit of money doing it,” he recalled. “It was a cool experience and I was definitely determined to pursue it further.
“One thing I’ve always appreciated about FMX is that it’s a family atmosphere. I’ve had grandparents tell me, ‘I’m here to bring my grandchildren, but next time I’ll be coming back for myself.’”
Recalling the accident that left him a paraplegic, he said, “It was definitely a bad day. It could have been a lot worse. My focus now is on being grateful for everything day to day. But, right from the second it happened, I knew I wanted to get on the bike once more. In this sport, you want to go out on top, on a good note, and not go out on a stretcher.”
One of his best friends is a fabricator, and he designed a cage for the bike.
“A steel cage goes around my legs in case I tip over. I have a smaller cage on the seat that protects my hips and I have a seatbelt. That’s definitely one of the scariest parts because there’s no eject button. I’m along for the ride.”
When asked what his career highlight has been so far, he said his first show after his accident will always remain special.
“It will be tough to ever beat the first one back. It was at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, and a lot of the people there were also at the show in Hamilton when I had my accident. We didn’t even announce I was going to be there. It felt like an arena full of friends and family, even though they were complete strangers. Everyone was so supportive. It was overwhelming and emotional for me.”
He then interjects, “but Kelowna will definitely be up there. It’s tough to beat a hometown show, for anyone. We have some brand new ramps that are literally too high for arenas — we’d hit the rafters. They have only been used at the Nitro World Games and they’ve never been on tour until now. We have 20 of the best riders in the world, all in one place, and they will be pushing their own limits every show.”
Also on his highlight list was performing at two world-renowned venues — Madison Square Garden and the Staples Centre in Los Angeles.
Nitro Circus performs an FMX show at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna on Friday, May 25, beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets range in price from $47 to $185 and may be purchased through Ticketmaster or nitrocircus.com.