DAVID SMITH MBE
A celebration of cycling over this weekend has now become an event that can be done anywhere in the world.
I was supposed to be part of a small sports team in Leicestershire that included Martin Johnson and Martin Corry from England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup Winning Team, alongside a mix of triathletes, and former rugby stars.
The team are raising money for a charity called switch-theplay foundation.
The foundation support athletes preparing for a life after sport and support them in this transition.
All week I held on to the hope that I would still ride as I lay in bed.
I kept telling myself, “Okay, David you have come through six spinal operations surely you can get over this concussion in a week”, but as the days got closer and my concussion didn’t improve I could see this goal slipping away.
I felt like a bit of a wimp messaging a group of rugby players saying I can’t ride as I have a concussion, I feel like I am letting the team down.
I think the old David would have pushed on but
I am a little wiser now and know when the body needs to rest.
After chatting with a mate around his experiences of concussion as a footballer, I know it was the right move to make.
This is frustrating for me and challenges me to be disciplined, which is a good learning curve.
The forced rest will hopefully serve me well in the long run as I start to think about what might actually be the next competition for para cyclists.