Springfield business leader gets new outlook after breaking neck

On Dec 4, 9:43*am, Mike Vandeman wrote:
"It's part of my quality of life".

Yeah, right.

Mike

http://www.news-leader.com/article/2...2040350/Dynami...

Springfield business leader gets new outlook after breaking neck

While he won't stop taking risks, he will assess them carefully.

11:00 PM, Dec. 3, 2011

I was doing a phone interview with local businessman Matt O'Reilly
when he politely excused himself for a second.

"That was my 2-year-old daughter bringing me a bag of ice," O'Reilly
said.

Curious, I asked if he had a sprained ankle.

Nope, nothing that simple.

In mid-October, O'Reilly -- one of Springfield's up-and-coming young
business leaders -- endured a terrifying mountain biking accident on
an Arkansas trail.

O'Reilly climbs mountains, jumps out of airplanes, snowboards and
scuba dives. But he's also passionate about mountain biking and
helping develop new bike trails in the Ozarks.

On his latest project -- a $20 million retail-apartment-office complex
with an attached farmers market described in the story below -- he
hopes to link a bike path to the nearby Springfield Conservation
Center.

That trail probably won't have any built-in jumps like the one that
broke his neck and ripped his shoulder apart during the ride in
October.

He recalled taking the jump a little too slowly, the front of his bike
dropping and pitching him forward.

With feet locked into the pedals, O'Reilly knew what was next.

"I jackhammered my neck and head straight into the ground," he
recalled.

He heard his neck and shoulder crack.

"It was loud and nasty. I thought about my wife and our 21-month-old
daughter; the first thing I thought was stupid -- like slap-me-in-the-
face stupid."

His wife, Ashley, and two friends who were riding with him, rushed to
help.

O'Reilly said his bike helmet cracked from the impact, likely saving
his life. As he sat up, he felt several ribs pop back into place.

Ligaments and muscles that hold his right shoulder together were torn
apart.

He could still move his feet and arms, and didn't yet know the top C7
vertebra in his neck had cracked all the way through.

"I went through the steps -- what would a wilderness first responder
do?" he recalled.

After assessing his injuries, he opted to get back on his bike and
ride slowly back to the car. An hour and a half later he was in a CT
machine in Springfield, where doctors got a clear view of the damage.

They suddenly asked if he could wiggle his toes.

"I came out of the CT machine locked down on a board, with six people
around me."

O'Reilly now knows if the two pieces of his cracked vertebra had
moved, he could have suffered significant, perhaps permanent, nerve
damage.

He underwent shoulder reconstruction surgery, and now wears a hard
plastic neck brace that will immobilize his head and neck for several
more weeks.

O'Reilly said he won't let the accident deter him from taking
calculated risks in the future, whether involving his passion for
extreme sports or making business decisions that affect Springfield.

"I've never made my decisions in life based on the worst thing that
could happen," he said.

"It's unrealistic. You could choke on a salad or slip down some
stairs."

However, O'Reilly said he'll assess risks more carefully in the
future.

"But I'm not going to stop mountain biking, I'm not going to stop
doing this stuff, it's part of who I am. It's part of my quality of
life."

This write was overly optimistic. The mountain biker didn't change his
outlook one whit, even after breaking his neck! Typical....

On Dec 7, 1:09*am, Mike Vandeman wrote:

This write was overly optimistic. The mountain biker didn't change his
outlook one whit, even after breaking his neck! Typical....

Sounds like you have a lot in common. You were arrested, tried, and
convicted for your acts, and you didn't change your outlook one
whit.You'll be back in jail again.

On Dec 9, 1:00*pm, Brad Anders wrote:
On Dec 7, 1:09*am, Mike Vandeman wrote:

This write was overly optimistic. The mountain biker didn't change his
outlook one whit, even after breaking his neck! Typical....

Sounds like you have a lot in common. You were arrested, tried, and
convicted for your acts, and you didn't change your outlook one
whit.You'll be back in jail again.

What about my attitude needs changing? Mountain bikers can never get
specific -- proof that they are LYING.

Since I didn't do anything wrong, why should I change anything? I know
you can't answer that one, either.

On Dec 9, 10:40*pm, Mike Vandeman wrote:
On Dec 9, 1:00*pm, Brad Anders wrote:

On Dec 7, 1:09*am, Mike Vandeman wrote:

This write was overly optimistic. The mountain biker didn't change his
outlook one whit, even after breaking his neck! Typical....

Sounds like you have a lot in common. You were arrested, tried, and
convicted for your acts, and you didn't change your outlook one
whit.You'll be back in jail again.

What about my attitude needs changing? Mountain bikers can never get
specific -- proof that they are LYING.

Since I didn't do anything wrong, why should I change anything? I know
you can't answer that one, either.

Submitted as proof. Enjoy your future jail cell.

On Dec 11, 7:08*am, Brad Anders wrote:
On Dec 9, 10:40*pm, Mike Vandeman wrote:





On Dec 9, 1:00*pm, Brad Anders wrote:

On Dec 7, 1:09*am, Mike Vandeman wrote:

This write was overly optimistic. The mountain biker didn't change his
outlook one whit, even after breaking his neck! Typical....

Sounds like you have a lot in common. You were arrested, tried, and
convicted for your acts, and you didn't change your outlook one
whit.You'll be back in jail again.

What about my attitude needs changing? Mountain bikers can never get
specific -- proof that they are LYING.

Since I didn't do anything wrong, why should I change anything? I know
you can't answer that one, either.

Submitted as proof. Enjoy your future jail cell.

Proof that mountain bikers can never answer questions? Thus proving
that they always lie? Thanks for proving my point for the millionth
time.

On Dec 11, 5:00*pm, Mike Vandeman wrote:
On Dec 11, 7:08*am, Brad Anders wrote:









On Dec 9, 10:40*pm, Mike Vandeman wrote:

On Dec 9, 1:00*pm, Brad Anders wrote:

On Dec 7, 1:09*am, Mike Vandeman wrote:

This write was overly optimistic. The mountain biker didn't change his
outlook one whit, even after breaking his neck! Typical....

Sounds like you have a lot in common. You were arrested, tried, and
convicted for your acts, and you didn't change your outlook one
whit.You'll be back in jail again.

What about my attitude needs changing? Mountain bikers can never get
specific -- proof that they are LYING.

Since I didn't do anything wrong, why should I change anything? I know
you can't answer that one, either.

Submitted as proof. Enjoy your future jail cell.

Proof that mountain bikers can never answer questions? Thus proving
that they always lie? Thanks for proving my point for the millionth
time.

Why should anyone extend you a courtesy that you never give in return?
BTW, the court says you did something wrong - that's why they call it
a conviction. But, as we all know, you've rationalized it away.

Continue with your postings here, until your next jail term. Oh, and
on that subject, rather pathetic/gutless of you to have stopped
posting here until after your sentencing. Pretty obvious that when the
chips were down, your so-called convictions got tossed aside.

On Dec 13, 4:55*pm, Brad Anders wrote:
On Dec 11, 5:00*pm, Mike Vandeman wrote:





On Dec 11, 7:08*am, Brad Anders wrote:

On Dec 9, 10:40*pm, Mike Vandeman wrote:

On Dec 9, 1:00*pm, Brad Anders wrote:

On Dec 7, 1:09*am, Mike Vandeman wrote:

This write was overly optimistic. The mountain biker didn't change his
outlook one whit, even after breaking his neck! Typical....

Sounds like you have a lot in common. You were arrested, tried, and
convicted for your acts, and you didn't change your outlook one
whit.You'll be back in jail again.

What about my attitude needs changing? Mountain bikers can never get
specific -- proof that they are LYING.

Since I didn't do anything wrong, why should I change anything? I know
you can't answer that one, either.

Submitted as proof. Enjoy your future jail cell.

Proof that mountain bikers can never answer questions? Thus proving
that they always lie? Thanks for proving my point for the millionth
time.

Why should anyone extend you a courtesy that you never give in return?
BTW, the court says you did something wrong - that's why they call it
a conviction. But, as we all know, you've rationalized it away.

Since I was there, and youy weren't, we know which one of us knows
what happened there, and which one is a mountain biker = liar..

Continue with your postings here, until your next jail term. Oh, and
on that subject, rather pathetic/gutless of you to have stopped
posting here until after your sentencing. Pretty obvious that when the
chips were down, your so-called convictions got tossed aside.

The chips were never down. We all know that mountain bikers can only
LIE. If they ever told the truth, no one would allow them on their
land. Dream on.

On Dec 13, 10:58*pm, Mike Vandeman wrote:
On Dec 13, 4:55*pm, Brad Anders wrote:









On Dec 11, 5:00*pm, Mike Vandeman wrote:

On Dec 11, 7:08*am, Brad Anders wrote:

On Dec 9, 10:40*pm, Mike Vandeman wrote:

On Dec 9, 1:00*pm, Brad Anders wrote:

On Dec 7, 1:09*am, Mike Vandeman wrote:

This write was overly optimistic. The mountain biker didn't change his
outlook one whit, even after breaking his neck! Typical....

Sounds like you have a lot in common. You were arrested, tried, and
convicted for your acts, and you didn't change your outlook one
whit.You'll be back in jail again.

What about my attitude needs changing? Mountain bikers can never get
specific -- proof that they are LYING.

Since I didn't do anything wrong, why should I change anything? I know
you can't answer that one, either.

Submitted as proof. Enjoy your future jail cell.

Proof that mountain bikers can never answer questions? Thus proving
that they always lie? Thanks for proving my point for the millionth
time.

Why should anyone extend you a courtesy that you never give in return?
BTW, the court says you did something wrong - that's why they call it
a conviction. But, as we all know, you've rationalized it away.

Since I was there, and youy weren't, we know which one of us knows
what happened there, and which one is a mountain biker = liar..

Continue with your postings here, until your next jail term. Oh, and
on that subject, rather pathetic/gutless of you to have stopped
posting here until after your sentencing. Pretty obvious that when the
chips were down, your so-called convictions got tossed aside.

The chips were never down. We all know that mountain bikers can only
LIE. If they ever told the truth, no one would allow them on their
land. Dream on.

Well, then if the chips weren't down, why would a dedicated zealot
like yourself quit posting? Was it because your lawyer insisted that
you stop? Or was it your own gutlessness, out of concern that your
vitriol would be brought up in court? Surely, you wouldn't be stopped
by such trivialities - but, apparently, you were. Shows your true
colors, something those of us who have been around here for as long/
longer than you have known from day one.

BTW, what did your wife think of this whole episode? You know, the
arrest, being hauled off to jail, having to get bailed out, the cost
of hiring a lawyer, the time off from your job, the court proceedings,
the public humiliation, the chattering of your neighbors about your
arrest, the trial, the convictions, your sentencing? Must have been
really difficult on her. Seeing as you're on the same trajectory as
before your arrest, do you ever worry about putting her through all
that again? It's seemingly inevitable, given your nature.