Over the years, we’ve been fortunate enough here in Canada to be surrounded by many incredible families at the race track. From coast to coast, motocross families support each other through the good, the bad, and even through tragedy. For the Leitner family, last summer began like any other as their son Brock was back racing the Pro Nationals and feeling good about where they were at. Being together at a race track has always been one of their favourite activities, and when Round 2 in Drumheller arrived, there were no indications that the weekend would be unlike any other fun weekend at the track. Unfortunately, during practice on Sunday morning, Brock had a hard crash that would ultimately change his and his family’s lives forever. In that crash, Brock suffered a spinal cord injury that required immediate surgery and a long and challenging rehab process. However, Brock and his family remained positive, and thankfully through Social Media, we observed Brock’s progress and how he was adjusting to his new life. We finally caught up with Brock to see how he was doing and how his recovery has been going?
MXP: Hey Brock! How are things, and what is going on today?
BL: Hey Palms! It’s good to hear from you. Right now, I’m getting ready to head to the gym to play basketball. I’ve been invited to play in the BC Winter Games, so I have to get some practice in.
That’s amazing! It sounds as though you’re still as competitive as ever.
For sure! Whenever you have a life-changing injury like this, you’re not sure what you’ll still be able to do and really if you still want to try and do things that you did before the injury. It’s a process, and I decided early that I wanted to try and live a normal life and continue doing some of the things I did before I got injured.
I know you took golf very seriously leading up to your accident last summer. Are you still playing?
Of course! Before I got hurt, I was playing a lot of golf, and I think I was like a 4 or 5 handicap. I really enjoy the game, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to continue to play given what happened to me. But I figured it out and yeah, we’ve been out having fun and hitting balls.
One of the things that has amazed me and everyone else I think, is just how positive you’ve been through all of this. Was this a conscious decision you made after your accident, or is this just who you are?
I feel like I’ve always been a positive person who can see the good in people as well as the positive side of things. My parents have always taught me to be grateful for what we have and to make the most of any situation. I’ve always tried to do that with my racing and with my life really. When I got hurt and was told that, barring any miracles I would never walk again, I had a choice to make, and I had to decide how I was going to deal with it. It’s amazing what your body and mind can do when facing a situation like I was.
Also, seeing your mom and dad so positive through all of this has been inspirational. I cannot imagine what they’ve been through as well.
Yes, it was definitely hard on them at the beginning. When the doctor in Calgary told them after my surgery that he was able to stabilize my injuries but that due to my spinal cord being pinched, I’d most likely never walk again, to hear them sobbing to the point that they were almost hyper-ventilating was the hardest part for me. Those words were obviously hard on me also, but at that point, I pretty much came to the conclusion in my head that this was permanent. Those first few days were tough, but as a family, we’ve always stuck together and had each other’s back, so together, we were like let’s deal with this and move on.
As I said, it’s been inspirational how you guys have dealt with this.
Well, early on during rehab, I had someone say to me that because I’m still fairly young that it’s really too bad that this type of injury happened to me. But honestly, the way I look at it is that if something like this was going to happen to me, I’m glad that I’m still young and strong and have a lot of years left to deal with it. In rehab, I saw people in their 50s and 60s who had the same injury as I did, and they didn’t have nearly the strength that I did to get through it. My situation isn’t ideal, but I’m young and strong, and this is my life now, so let’s make the best of it.
You were speaking of rehabilitation. You went there right after your injury, and I remember you telling me that you treated it like you were training for moto.
Yes, I went full steam ahead, and I had the mindset that I was going to kill it. I made good progress very quickly, and my attitude and work ethic helped to inspire others there as well. When it comes to rehab, the hardest part for most is not while you’re there doing it because you’re almost always making improvements, and you feel good about yourself. The most challenging part is leaving and going home and back to your normal life that isn’t so normal anymore. For me, I was excited to leave and get home and see what I could do. I think others at rehab that saw and heard me being so positive and excited about going home inspired them to feel the same.
Once you got home and settled into life again, did you immediately start going to the gym and trying to be active?
At first, I was nervous about going back to my gym because I didn’t know what I would be able to do there. But eventually, I went back and started working out, and it didn’t take long before I was motivated to work hard and build more strength. Even though I wasn’t able to build my calves and quads, I found ways to work on my upper body. I also had some older people at the gym come up to me and tell me that seeing me working out inspires them to keep going.
That’s amazing Brock, and it’s great to hear that you’re determination is rubbing off on others. I don’t want to bring back bad memories so please tell me if you don’t want to talk about your accident. I know you hit your head and were knocked out for a few moments. Do you remember everything about your crash and how it happened?
Yes, I do remember the crash, and no, I don’t mind talking about it. Like most crashes, that one happened fast as I hit a kicker on the face of the take-off and went over the bars. I remember being in the air, trying to save it, and thinking I almost had it saved. Then, once I realized that I didn’t, I assumed that I would most likely break a collarbone or something like that. Like you said, I hit my head pretty hard, so I was out for a bit. Once I came to, I was having trouble catching my breath because I guess I had a collapsed lung and didn’t know it. I also had a mouth guard in and that was making it hard to open my mouth fully and catch my breath. My first memories were trying to tell the paramedics how to remove my helmet cheek pads so they could take my helmet off safely. I knew my back hurt, but I wasn’t aware of my spinal cord injury immediately. I remember seeing Steve Simms and JC Seitz as they were there pretty quickly. Thankfully, Steve has some paramedic training, so he kind of took over directing the paramedics on what they should be doing and not doing. I think the paramedics were a little overwhelmed with the situation and kind of froze. Whether it was me lying there or another rider, I think situations like that are a perfect example of why a series as big as the Triple Crown Series needs a travelling medical staff to be at each event. I know in BC we have Steve Sulyok who goes to almost every race and takes care of everyone. You mentioned to me that in Ontario, you have Ron Cameron who is there most of the time. I think the series should give guys like that a little expense money to ensure that between them each round is covered. It makes a big difference to have an expert paramedic always on site who knows the sport and the type of injuries we can get. Also, for the riders who crash and unfortunately get injured like I did, to be able to see a trusted and familiar face while lying there is important. I didn’t know what was going on, and had it not been for Simms and JC, I probably would’ve been in panic mode.
I agree and I hope it happens moving forward. This sport is obviously dangerous and safety should always be our greatest concern at events.
Totally and even something like making the helmet eject system mandatory at the Nationals should be implemented. The AMA won’t let you ride a USA National or SX without it, so why do we allow our pro riders to do so here? It wouldn’t have made a difference as far as my injury went but it could in the future. So back to your original question. After lying there for a bit, I told them that my back hurt, and then they started asking if I could feel my toes? I couldn’t but when I had broken my pelvis years before, I had trouble feeling my toes right after it happened, so I thought maybe this was the same. However, when I asked the paramedics to take my pants off, and they said that they were already off, I knew I was in some serious trouble. From there, they got me off the track and I ended up in Calgary and into surgery. There isn’t too much more to say other than I obviously wish I didn’t crash, but I did and here we are. When things like that happen, you just have to deal with it. I’ve spoken a bit to Brent Worrall, and he’s helped me get through some of the tough days. And I’m not going to lie; my parents and I have had some tough days! But, the good days have outweighed the bad ones, and life goes on.
I know I said it earlier but I’ll say it again. Your attitude through all of this has been just amazing. Will we see you at a race this summer? Perhaps the Kamloops National in June?
Yes, I think so! I’d love to come out and see everyone and watch the boys battle. I’d also love to see people like Steve Simms and JC again to thank them in person for all they did that day. I spoke to Steve a little after he got injured, but that was just over the phone. So yes, as soon as I find out when the Kamloops National is, we’ll make plans to come out and say hi.
It would be great to see you and your family again. Thank you for doing this, Brock, and all the best in the future.
Thank you for calling Palms! It was great to chat with you and let everyone know how I’m doing. As I said during rehab, I don’t care if I’m walking or rolling. I’m still going to be rocking and rolling.