Long Way Up
I have many thoughts about my own recovery, back then and now. I know in my mind and heart, there were many factors in that recovery. Of those many factors, I want to focus on a few in this particular post because of a documentary I watched recently. It’s called, “Long Way Up.”
The documentary chronicles the journey of two lifelong friends who travel on electric Harley Davidson motorcycles from Argentina to Los Angeles, California. 15,000 miles.
The two friends, Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman encounter the harshest weather and terrain, from snow, ice, rain, and dirt, one-track roads, traveling through mountains to having difficulties finding power sources. Dangerous, is putting this adventure mildly.
Much of this is filmed and recorded on helmet cameras, and also from a film crew.
In one segment, Ewan and Charlie are traveling up a steep mountainous passage. They meet a man riding his bike uphill through the mountains and stop him to talk… he has one leg. The man is in full cycling gear. He is so pleasant, with a constant smile as he explains that a few years ago he had been hit by a car on his bike training for the Olympics, and in the tragedy, lost his leg. At the time they met him, he was training for the Paralympics.
Charlie Boorman, who had been in two critical motorcycle accidents said:
“I understand a little bit about rehabilitation and getting to a point where you’re so low because you’ve had a life-changing accident, and where do you go from there? How do you get on? What do you do after that? And I think one of the biggest things to happen to you when you have trauma, is trying to get back to some kind of normality, to decide that yes, OK, I’ve got these ailments, But I’m not gonna make them define me. I’m going to push on and move forward.”
I literally stopped this documentary when I heard this statement and typed this out. Wow!
I love that these two friends, share this incredible journey together… something I would have done if I had the means, $$$ and a friend who had that shared vision. The man on the bike really inspired me. His horrific injury didn’t hinder that desire, not only to recover but continue his dream of competing in the Olympics.
I echo Charlie’s words. Thank you Charlie.
