Neave Twins
Tom’s ready for action
The doctor told me it would take up to four months to fix my severed meniscus, and that if I didn’t go for surgery on my knee sooner rather than later it might never fix. I was flat-tracking at Boasties on the mini bikes back in December when all this kicked off. I’d simply put my foot down in an awkward position and twisted my knee – at least I can say it wasn’t a crash this time! Thinking it was just a sprain I rested it for a few weeks and carried on training as normal, pain free; I managed three months of training pretty hard on it! After all this time my knee decided it was the right time to swell back up so it wasn’t until March that I decided to get a scan on it… It was not the news I was hoping for, and I’d almost made it through the off-season injury-free for once! I know I’m not the only racer to pick up injuries in the off-season, but this one came as a bit of a blow, and it’s only now, five weeks on from my op, that my knee’s out of its brace and I’m finally able to start some light cycling and focusing on the season ahead. Living with an injury is a bit of a nightmare, but this time around it’s only made me more determined and motivated than ever. Maybe it’s a mindset born of frustration, or maybe I’ve just come to believe in myself in a way I’ve never done before. It’s just another hurdle to get over, and when I get that first win this season it’s going to be all the sweeter.
I guess the core of my confidence comes from knowing I’m on the same bike, and with the same team as last season. This is a huge benefit for me and gives me that platform to build on from last season. As for me, I’m stronger than ever, despite my recovering knee. It’s forced me to take a step back and re-evaluate what I’ve been doing. Training smarter and not harder has been the philosophy in all this. It’s given me time to work on my dodgy shoulders and focus on other areas that needed a bit of attention. I was training hard before but areas were getting neglected while trying to do a little bit of everything. It’s been the perfect break and time to prepare mentally too.
Luckily for me, the season was pushed back a month to the end of June. By the start of the season I’ll be fully fixed with plenty of testing under my belt. Honda is more determined than ever to put on a good show, and the support and testing schedule in the offing is nothing short of first class. Last year was tricky; we had to get our heads around a whole new bike, but this year we’re hitting the road running. I guess the other big news is I’ve got some new team-mates that’ll be joining Glenn on the Superbikes. Takumi Takahashi and Ryo Mizuno are headed over from Japan, looking for a new challenge in the BSB championship. I’m genuinely excited to be working with them, and learning from their experience which they’ll undoubtedly bring to the mix. There’s a real buzz in the team, and I reckon it’s only going to get more electrifying as we edge closer to the start of round one… which still seems a lifetime away. That said, this is one time when I’m not wishing the days away, as I know every extra day I have, and with each additional test I get under my belt, the more prepared I’ll be for what’s likely to prove one hell of a fight this season. The depth of talent is unreal, but I’ve never felt more hungry or up for the scrap than I do right now.