WORDS & IMAGES: ANN HARRISON

Mountain biking is my passion and will always be. Whether I am riding on the road, bombing down single track, cruising the jeep tracks or covering distance on a bike packing tour, no matter the terrain, riding a bike is a gift, a privilege and the best passion I have discovered.

Until you hit the ground. Ouch! Sometimes you jump up and say “Wow, that was lucky” but in my case on 27^th September 2022, I wasn’t the case. Just a pedal strike on the flattest piece of single track on The Missing Link above The Twelve Apostle Hotel after most of the technical stuff!!!! I did nothing wrong, nothing stupid or irresponsible except maybe going faster than I normally do and BAM! – my pedal struck on an innocuous rock, stopped my bike in its tracks and I hit the dirt in an almighty thud shaking Table Mountain to its core.

This was followed by a very dramatic rescue operation organised by Andrew (who I was riding with – note: I wasn’t cycling alone….) and some very good friends in the area and between them all, got the medics and the rescue party out to me. I couldn’t move and there was no place for a helicopter to land, so it was the good old metal stretcher and 8 rescuers who got me off the mountain. I am eternally grateful to them.

I did a proper job on myself. Pelvis broken in 4 places, 2-3 ribs as usual and my clavicle in 2 places. Shoulder operation was done, 6 days in hospital and 10 days in a Step-Down facility. I couldn’t go home as walking was a problem but the physios at the Step-Down facility were angels and got me walking with one crutch and soon, I was home recuperating. It was a long slow recovery with 6 weeks completely off but by early November my recovery was speeded along by my daily walks with my dog. What a life saver that was. Just to get out in the fresh air was rejuvenating.