From death-defying heartstopper to back on track for Ricky May
Less than six months after he suffered a horrific medical event where he ‘‘conked it’’ on live TV, star harness racing driver Ricky May has completed a remarkable and inspiring comeback.
It might not have been the fairytale return the entire harness racing community had hoped for but just to see the champion reinsman back on track for the first time since that infamous day in January was a win and a special moment for everyone at Addington last night. Five months ago, May thought he might never return to driving and anyone who watched the Omakau races back in January would probably have agreed.
May was leading a race at Omakau on January 3 when he collapsed in the sulky on live TV and in front of a holiday crowd of thousands. The horrific scene had many of those watching fearing the worst for the popular harness racing figure from Methven.
The race was called off as an unconscious May eventually fell onto the track. One of the first to him was harness racing driver Ellie Barron, who May has said saved his life. Barron was not driving in the race but with a medical background as a qualified physiotherapist, she sprung into action. When she reached May, he was unconscious with no heartbeat.
May told TVNZ this week his heart stopped for eight minutes.
‘‘When Ellie arrived I’d definitely conked it,’’ he told Trackside TV earlier this year.
Barron performed CPR before May was flown to Dunedin hospital and eventually, he made a full recovery. In an interview before race one last night – aptly named the Welcome Back Ricky May Trot – May told Trackside TV he only got his final clearance to return on Monday.
‘‘I’ve done everything I probably shouldn’t have to be fair,’’ May said
‘‘He (specialist) told me, when it first happened, that I’m not allowed to weld, I’m not allowed to chainsaw, I’m not allowed to drive on the road but I said: ‘I’ve broken all them rules’’’. ‘‘I said to him: ‘There’s nothing wrong with me’’’.
After the incident in January, May was diagnosed with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy – a condition where the heart muscles thicken even though the heart itself is healthy. To help deal with the condition, May has had surgery to have a cardioverter defibrillator implanted in his chest.
May, who has won the New Zealand Trotting Cup a remarkable seven times, finished 11th in the first race last night.
It wasn’t the dream result but to May’s many fans it would have been the greatest 11th of all time.
It was hoped May would get the 2950th race win of his career in race three where he drove the favourite Skippys Delight but it wasn’t to be. He finished third.