ANOTHER Quadriplegic Created by Mountain Biking

Put THAT in the Mountain Biking Hall of Fame!

More media hype about mountain biking. It never seems to end:

Take a long, hard look at the mother's face in the picture. It speaks
more than a 1000 words ever can. How many more pictures like this will
we see before mountain biking is "tamed"? Another article following
this tragedy (turned glorification of mountain biking) continues to
"hype" this sport. From the same newspaper, the same day. How ironic!
How sad! When will the insanity end? Over handlebar injuries are way
too common with mountain biking. It is like playing Russian roulette
in the woods with every fall "over the handlebars". Both this kid, and
the adult who recently died in a bike crash on the North Shore, both
flew over their handlebars. Most of the time, the rider is lucky to
"escape" with nasty cuts, or a broken collar bone. Not much solace
there.

[a friend]

From the North Shore Outlook newspaper:

A different path



Forging ahead - A mountain biking accident has paralyzed 15-year-old
John Ramsden. Despite the life-changing incident, the West Vancouver
resident, pictured here with his mother Marguerite Stolar, is ready to
embark on a new life with his family. Daniel Pi photo

By DANIEL PI Staff Reporter

Jul 05 2007



John Ramsden knew. In the split second it took him to recover from the
shock of the fall, he knewhis life had changed forever.

“I’m paralyzed,” he told his friend James who had rushed to his side.

As other mountain bikers gathered around, offering first aid and help,
Ramsden experienced what most people do during life-altering moments.

He remembered landing on his chin, the mouth guard of his full-faced
helmet taking the brunt of the six-foot fall after his mountain bike’s
front wheel suddenly tumbled off the narrow log beam obstacle, sending
him over the handle bars.

His body tingled, yet he couldn’t feel anything.

He knew what had happened, but he couldn’t believe it either.

On April 29, Ramsden and friend James were mountain biking on the
Boogie Man Trail on Mount Seymour when he took his freak fall.

“The second I fell I knew I was paralyzed,” Ramsden, 15, recalls at
G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre, where he’s now recovering. “I was
thinking this can’t have happened, this couldn’t have happened even
though I was totally aware at the time that it happened.”

As he lay on the ground, mountain bikers Hubert Wehlgmuh, Scott
Schneider, Ken McCarty, Simon Cameron and Craig Zarazun jumped off
their bikes to help, offering first aid and calling for paramedics.

Even though Ramsden was having trouble breathing because his helmet’s
neck strap was partially choking him, the mountain biker rescuers
wouldn’t move it, fearing it would shift his neck and do further
damage.

The paramedics were on their way. It was about 4:30 p.m.

At the same time, Ramsden’s parents, Michael Ramsden and Marguerite
Stolar, also heard the news. They were out the door of their West
Vancouver home immediately.

They arrived after firefighters and paramedics, and his father set up
the mountain to be with his son while Stolar remained behind, getting
constant updates by radio.

Ramsden saw his father just as rescuers were putting him onto a
specialized stretcher and preparing to wheel him down the mountain.

“He talked to me and reassured me,” Ramsden says, adding his rescuers
then had to navigate the numerous mountain bike obstacles down to the
ambulance and his mother.

She accompanied him to BC Children’s Hospital where doctors stabilized
his neck before transferring him to Vancouver General Hospital. There
he underwent a nine-hour surgery where doctors installed a metal cage
to replace the broken fourth vertebrae.

The injury has paralyzed Ramsden from this upper chest down. He still
has some feeling in his arms and has limited mobility with his left
arm.

He needed a ventilator to help him breathe at first since the
paralysis robbed him of the use of most of his muscles, and over a
10-day weaning process, Ramsden learned to breathe using his
diaphragm.

“So I had to learn to breathe again basically.”

Ramsden spent six weeks recovering at VGH before he was “medically
stable” and could be transferred to G.F. Strong for rehabilitation.
There two weeks now, he recently had a tracheotomy tube removed from
his throat and on June 27, doctors removed the neck brace.

He proudly states he’s now able to breathe on his own and hold his
head up.

“There are bad days and good days and I’ve accepted that I’m starting
a new life now,” he says. “But I can still do a lot.”

Ramsden acknowledges he won’t be able to play many of the sports that
he loved, particularly mountain biking, which he first started as an
eight-year-old with his father.

But he doesn’t want his story to stop others from doing what they
love, be it mountain biking or another activity because it’s
dangerous.

“You come to terms with it, you do what you love,” he says. “I was
just riding down a simple part of the trail, it was just a fluke
accident.”

While crashes are common on the mountain bike trails, Cam McRae, owner
of mountain biking website and e-magazine nsmb.com, says spinal cord
injuries like Ramsden’s don’t happen often. “It certainly isn’t
unheard of to get a spinal injury riding your mountain bike, but on
the North Shore, it’s the first that I’ve heard of,” McRae says.
“Mountain biking, like anything we do in life, has its risks.”

For Ramsden’s parents, this has been the toughest period in their
lives, but his mother, Stolar, has drawn strength watching her son
overcome this ordeal.

“That’s what we have to do, be as brave as he is,” Stolar says. “I’m
very proud (of his behaviour).

“From the get-go he’s been very selfless, his first concern out of
surgery was ‘Have we properly thanked his rescuers?’”

Ramsden’s mature behaviour hasn’t gone unnoticed by the community
either. Accolades have been posted on mountain biking forums on the
internet and at least one well-known North Shore mountain biker has
visited the 15-year-old in hospital.

Although he has never met Rick Hansen, B.C.’s legendary spinal cord
injury spokesperson, James Wilson, owner of Obsession Bikes in North
Vancouver, isn’t shy about comparing Ramsden with the Man in Motion.
“This guy’s rock solid,” he says.

Ramsden’s story has also galvanized the mountain biking community and
through Wilson’s lead they’ve dedicated an upcoming fundraising event
to help the teenager and his family cope with the recent events.

Following the final North Shore Ripper event, the Triple Crown, the
North Shore Mountain Biking Association is hosting a Las
Vegas-inspired after party at Bella Candela with proceeds going to the
Ramsden family.

“I was thinking about what a tight-knit community the mountain biking
community is,” says McRae, a co-founder of the Ripper series with
Wilson and Sharon Bader. “I wanted (Ramsden) to know he was still part
of the community.”

Wilson adds: “I always wondered if there’s not something more we can
do? And there’s nothing better to do than help someone in need.”

The support has clearly touched Ramsden’s mother, who believes very
few sport communities would rally like the mountain bikers.

“That’s been so wonderful and extremely touching because they provide
support on a whole other level that we can’t provide,” she says.

Ramsden is equally touched, and although doctors have told him he
still has another five to six months rehabilitation in G.F. Strong,
he’s anxious to attend the July 7 fundraiser with his family.

He already has an idea on what he wants to do with the money raised:
get himself a new set of wheels, his own wheelchair.

“It certainly isn’t unheard of to get a spinal injury riding your
mountain bike, but on the North Shore, it’s the first that I’ve heard
of,” McRae says. “Mountain biking, like anything we do in life, has
its risks.”

For Ramsden’s parents, this has been the toughest period in their
lives, but his mother, Stolar, has drawn strength watching her son
overcome this ordeal.

“That’s what we have to do, be as brave as he is,” Stolar says. “I’m
very proud (of his behaviour).

“From the get-go he’s been very selfless, his first concern out of
surgery was ‘Have we properly thanked his rescuers?’”

Ramsden’s mature behaviour hasn’t gone unnoticed by the community
either. Accolades have been posted on mountain biking forums on the
internet and at least one well-known North Shore mountain biker has
visited the 15-year-old in hospital.

Although he has never met Rick Hansen, B.C.’s legendary spinal cord
injury spokesperson, James Wilson, owner of Obsession Bikes in North
Vancouver, isn’t shy about comparing Ramsden with the Man in Motion.
“This guy’s rock solid,” he says.

Ramsden’s story has also galvanized the mountain biking community and
through Wilson’s lead they’ve dedicated an upcoming fundraising event
to help the teenager and his family cope with the recent events.

Following the final North Shore Ripper event, the Triple Crown, the
North Shore Mountain Biking Association is hosting a Las
Vegas-inspired after party at Bella Candela with proceeds going to the
Ramsden family.

“I was thinking about what a tight-knit community the mountain biking
community is,” says McRae, a co-founder of the Ripper series with
Wilson and Sharon Bader. “I wanted (Ramsden) to know he was still part
of the community.”

Wilson adds: “I always wondered if there’s not something more we can
do? And there’s nothing better to do than help someone in need.”

The support has clearly touched Ramsden’s mother, who believes very
few sport communities would rally like the mountain bikers.

“That’s been so wonderful and extremely touching because they provide
support on a whole other level that we can’t provide,” she says.

Ramsden is equally touched, and although doctors have told him he
still has another five to six months rehabilitation in G.F. Strong,
he’s anxious to attend the July 7 fundraiser with his family.

He already has an idea on what he wants to do with the money raised:
get himself a new set of wheels, his own wheelchair.

(An ad for the North Shore Ripper Triple Crown "Poker" Ride-- a wild
mountain bike ride across the three peaks on the North Shore was
advertised right under this article)



Then this article follows in the same newspaper, the same day:

The ultimate bike challenge



A real howl - B.C. Bike Race media coordinator Dave Howells said the
multi-day race is unique because contestants must take three ferries.
Daniel Pi photo

By JENNIFER ROSS Contributor

Jul 05 2007

Right now more than 200 mountain bike racers are winding their way
through rocky lush B.C. forests on a seven-day race from Victoria to
Whistler.

On Canada Day, racers gathered in Victoria to kick-off the first-ever
B.C. Bike Race. They are spending $1,700 each to attain their goal of
speeding through nine West Coast communities over the next week. They
left the B.C. capital in teams of two and four, and spent their first
day riding 112 km to Lake Cowichan. On day two, riders covered 115 km
to get to Port Alberni and were off to Comox Valley on day three.

“B.C. is known for mountain biking, the North Shore is the homeland of
biking and Whistler Bike Park is world renowned,” so the decision to
host the race in B.C. was an obvious choice, said Dave Howells, media
director for the B.C. Bike Race. “What makes this multi-day mountain
bike stage race unique is taking three ferries,” added Howells. It’s
not just a bike race – it’s an adventure challenge.

Wednesday, riders caught a 6:30 a.m. ferry ride to cross the Straight
of Georgia to Powell River. They spent the next 30 km on a bus
catching their breath and traveling to their next ferry crossing. Then
it was 60 km of road and trail to the quaint town of Sechelt where
racers had dinner, received daily awards for the fastest teams and
slept in outdoor tents.

To keep this pace up for seven days, riders need to be pretty
experienced.

“It’s a fairly big undertaking physically and mentally. It’s really
for hardcore mountain bikers,” said Howells. The course is designed so
each day offers its own unique challenge.

“We did not want to be the longest, toughest or hardest course. We
wanted to be the best mountain bike B.C. stage race,” he said.

Tackling this world-class route is American Chris Eatough, a Trek VW
Mountain Bike Team Rider.

“I seek out races around the world that are a lot of fun and a
challenge,” said Eatough, who competes in roughly 25 mountain bike
races a year. “What I like about B.C. is the riding has to be
technical. Going through the woods and over roots makes the ride like
an obstacle course.”

Eatough is a six-time 24-Hr Solo World Champion, which has him
competing in individual day-long endurance races twice a year. This
time he is taking on the seven-day challenge with partner Jeff Schalk,
a young up-and-comer.

Their strategy: to get through without any major mishaps, including
bike break-downs, fatigue and even getting lost, said Eatough. His
philosophy: You are only as fast as your slowest rider, so ride as a
team.

This morning, racers are riding 55 km from Sechelt to Gibsons.

They will then catch the Langdale Ferry to Horseshoe Bay where they
will take the bus up to Squamish to spend the night. On day six,
riders head 75 km to Whistler and for their final day racers will fly
through the forest at speeds reaching 100 km/h on the Skyline cable
ride and pedal 25 km of Whistler’s classic singletrack trails before
crossing the finish line in the Village.

After such an extreme week you would expect a luxury prize, but there
is only “a big handshake and a pat on the back,” said Howells. But
that’s not the point.

“It’s all about the adventure. I know the scenery and the trails will
be good but it will be a challenge and that’s what makes it
memorable,” said Eatough.

To finish off the week racers will attend a Whistler dinner ceremony
where the overall winners will be announced.

For more info about the BC Bike Race and race updates, visit
http://www.bcbikerace.com

(MY note: Of course much of this bike ride takes places on
"unauthorized" mountain bike trails)

Copyright © 2007
North Shore Outlook
A Division of

Black Press Group Ltd.
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

Grandma rolled down the stairs, should we ban multi-floor homes?

You're an idiot.

On Fri, 06 Jul 2007 22:13:48 GMT, "Jeff Strickland"
wrote:

Grandma rolled down the stairs, should we ban multi-floor homes?

Only for your family, which is obviously disfunctional.

You're an idiot.

--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

"Mike Vandeman" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 06 Jul 2007 22:13:48 GMT, "Jeff Strickland"
wrote:

Grandma rolled down the stairs, should we ban multi-floor homes?

Only for your family, which is obviously disfunctional.



So, under your rock, we should ban stuff that you do not like, not just
stuff that is dangerous?

You imply that riding a bike is a danger to the participant and to all those
around, and therefore should be banned. But when grandma rolls down the
obviously dangerous stairs, you don't mind because you do not dislike
stairs. Interesting that stuff that needs to be banned falls so neatly into
the list of stuff you do not like, and actual public safety has no bearing.

You are an idiot.

"Jeff Strickland" wrote in message
news:ARPji.511$mS3.178@trnddc03...

"Mike Vandeman" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 06 Jul 2007 22:13:48 GMT, "Jeff Strickland"
wrote:

Grandma rolled down the stairs, should we ban multi-floor homes?

Only for your family, which is obviously disfunctional.



So, under your rock, we should ban stuff that you do not like, not just
stuff that is dangerous?

You imply that riding a bike is a danger to the participant and to all
those around, and therefore should be banned. But when grandma rolls down
the obviously dangerous stairs, you don't mind because you do not dislike
stairs. Interesting that stuff that needs to be banned falls so neatly
into the list of stuff you do not like, and actual public safety has no
bearing.

You are an idiot.







Stand-by for sarcasm.

He doesn't want to ban "bike riding"..... just bike riding in mountains.
Duh.

Come on get it right.

end sarcasm.

Marty

On Sat, 07 Jul 2007 17:14:08 GMT, "Jeff Strickland"
wrote:


"Mike Vandeman" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 06 Jul 2007 22:13:48 GMT, "Jeff Strickland"
wrote:

Grandma rolled down the stairs, should we ban multi-floor homes?

Only for your family, which is obviously disfunctional.



So, under your rock, we should ban stuff that you do not like,

No, stuff that is harmful to the environment. You are welcome to kill
yourself, as long as you don't hurt wildlife or someone else.

not just
stuff that is dangerous?

You imply that riding a bike is a danger to the participant and to all those
around, and therefore should be banned. But when grandma rolls down the
obviously dangerous stairs, you don't mind because you do not dislike
stairs. Interesting that stuff that needs to be banned falls so neatly into
the list of stuff you do not like, and actual public safety has no bearing.

You are an idiot.





--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

"Mike Vandeman" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 07 Jul 2007 17:14:08 GMT, "Jeff Strickland"
wrote:


"Mike Vandeman" wrote in message
. ..
On Fri, 06 Jul 2007 22:13:48 GMT, "Jeff Strickland"
wrote:

Grandma rolled down the stairs, should we ban multi-floor homes?

Only for your family, which is obviously disfunctional.



So, under your rock, we should ban stuff that you do not like,

No, stuff that is harmful to the environment. You are welcome to kill
yourself, as long as you don't hurt wildlife or someone else.


That's what I said, "we should ban stuff that you do not like."

You continue to rail against the dangerous sport of mountain biking, but it
isn't the danger you object to, it's the biking. You don't care that it is
dangerous, you only care that you do not like the activity. You don't want
to ban the danger, you want to ban that which you do not like.

To think, all this time we all thought you were looking out for our best
interests. I'm shocked to find that you are only interested in you.

On Sun, 08 Jul 2007 17:31:11 GMT, "Jeff Strickland"
wrote:


"Mike Vandeman" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 07 Jul 2007 17:14:08 GMT, "Jeff Strickland"
wrote:


"Mike Vandeman" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 06 Jul 2007 22:13:48 GMT, "Jeff Strickland"
wrote:

Grandma rolled down the stairs, should we ban multi-floor homes?

Only for your family, which is obviously disfunctional.



So, under your rock, we should ban stuff that you do not like,

No, stuff that is harmful to the environment. You are welcome to kill
yourself, as long as you don't hurt wildlife or someone else.


That's what I said, "we should ban stuff that you do not like."

You continue to rail against the dangerous sport of mountain biking, but it
isn't the danger you object to, it's the biking. You don't care that it is
dangerous, you only care that you do not like the activity. You don't want
to ban the danger, you want to ban that which you do not like.

Obviously, you can't read. Or do anything else right. Except LIE.
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

(MY note: Of course much of this bike ride takes places on
"unauthorized" mountain bike trails)

Care to elaborate or is this more uneducated hot air coming out of
your mouth...

On Fri, 13 Jul 2007 15:36:54 -0700, wrote:

(MY note: Of course much of this bike ride takes places on
"unauthorized" mountain bike trails)

Care to elaborate or is this more uneducated hot air coming out of
your mouth...

No, since you removed the entire context.
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande