Lukas Verzbicas...is walking with a walker and learning to walk again...

I was thinking of getting my son a race bike since he seems to like biking (he's been going out for 20k to 50k rides almost very day in addition to doing a few training sessions with a friend of his who races). After hearing about LV, I changed my mind...

After seeing the picture of him I don't know how a person could make fun of him. You have to be be pretty sick. He is a young kid who had a lot of good things going for him. I wish him luck.

Just curious, how many patients have you dealt w/someone like him?Meaning, he's in great shape/athlete w/great determination vs your normal patient population. I agree when I saw him w/a catheter in the video and the way he was being helped by the health care givers, I thought it was pretty serious and probably is but after listening to the interview, I have no doubt Lukas will beat the odds or at least show some sort of improvement sooner than later. Just a gut feeling...

He has some level of nerve damage. It isn't necessarily a matter of how hard he works, though doing PT religiously should help. You can't force your nerves to heal with a positive attitude.

Should have stayed at Oregon. Wanted too much too fast.

"I was thinking of getting my son a race bike since he seems to like biking..."

Get him the bike. If he's doing that kind of mileage and enjoys cycling you take away some of that Zen that he's accumulated.

Mr. Reef wrote:

This is painful to look at!

http://t.co/IhA11zsg

That really is tough to see.....

I really hope that he recovers and learns to walk unassisted. As young and talented as he is maybe a comeback is possible???

I am really pulling for him and wish him the best of luck but let's be honest, a full recovery will entail walking without pain and without a limp. Competing at a professional level for him is not really a possibility. It is really unfortunate but that door has closed and the last chapter of his story as a professional athlete has been written. I am sure he will succeed in other aspects of life and I wish him a speedy recovery. The sooner he gets over mourning the loss of his athletic future the better.

sc runner wrote:

Mr. Reef wrote:

This is painful to look at!

http://t.co/IhA11zsg

That really is tough to see.....

I really hope that he recovers and learns to walk unassisted. As young and talented as he is maybe a comeback is possible???

You think that pic is tough to look at? Watch the video. Suuuuucks. Hope he recovers. So gnarly.

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2012/08/news/video-lukas-verzbicas-road-to-recovery_59801

Determined!!!!! wrote:

He may or may not ever get back to where he was (hopefully he'll come back even stronger!!!) but he's not a pu$$y and he'll put up with more pain in his recovery than any of us can even imagaine to endure!

He's one of the most natural born competitors I've ever seen and his struggle to complete recovery will now be his foe to subdue and surpass!

The guy also has a mega amount of pride and self-confidence, some would say even "arrogance" but that's exactly what he needs to tap into now to make himself strong and fit once again.

!

I doubt he'll ever be able to get back to pro athlete shape, but if this contributes to his eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ it is al l for the better. Pride and arrogance aren't what he should be tapping in to make himself strong and fit again, pride and arrogance may be what God was trying to break him of. Humility and faith in God and thankfulness for even limited improvements in function is what I'd recommend.

smelly tuna wrote:

Should have stayed at Oregon. Wanted too much too fast.

Idiot. This was a bike accident during training. He wasn't even racing. I personally know 2 recreational cyclists who broke their necks and suffered paralyzing injuries far worse than his. I wish him the best.

I'm amazed at his ability to keep his composure through all of this. I would probably be severely depressed and terrified if something like this happened to me and I'm just a hobby jogger.

Just my opinion but I don't think this video should be on the Internet. Fans and detractors alike have no business looking at a 19 year old young man struggling with a severe injury, with foley in place and substantial paresis in the right lower extremity. A simple written update should suffice. This is really not the time or place for publicity.

I wish him the best. This will be a long, difficult road to travel.

Potter and the Clay wrote:

I doubt he'll ever be able to get back to pro athlete shape, but if this contributes to his eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ it is al l for the better. Pride and arrogance aren't what he should be tapping in to make himself strong and fit again, pride and arrogance may be what God was trying to break him of. Humility and faith in God and thankfulness for even limited improvements in function is what I'd recommend.

You are very, very sick to be attributing a tragic accident to some being trying to break this kid of his "pride and arrogance."

I'm sorry, but that's just sick.

a;kjhf wrote:

I personally know 2 recreational cyclists who broke their necks and suffered paralyzing injuries far worse than his. I wish him the best.

Geez, how did that happen?

in the dark wrote:

Just my opinion but I don't think this video should be on the Internet. Fans and detractors alike have no business looking at a 19 year old young man struggling with a severe injury, with foley in place and substantial paresis in the right lower extremity. A simple written update should suffice. This is really not the time or place for publicity.

I wish him the best. This will be a long, difficult road to travel.

I agree wholeheartedly.

Well, I have to think he gave permission to shoot and post that, so he must feel like it's a good thing.

in the dark wrote:

Just my opinion but I don't think this video should be on the Internet. Fans and detractors alike have no business looking at a 19 year old young man struggling with a severe injury, with foley in place and substantial paresis in the right lower extremity. A simple written update should suffice. This is really not the time or place for publicity.

I wish him the best. This will be a long, difficult road to travel.

whuhuh wrote:

Well, I have to think he gave permission to shoot and post that, so he must feel like it's a good thing.

All the best to LV. But I do not think that he is somehow more qualified than others to determine whether or not it is a good thing to have his image/video posted for folks to ogle.

Many celebrities are pleased to have their images posted everywhere to the point where it is difficult to avoid them. That does not imply that this is a good thing.

No, I am not equating LV to Paris Hilton. I am simply pointing out that the individual whose image is posted is not necessarily the bottom line authority on whether this is a good thing or not.

"Geez, how did that happen?"

From what I understand LV and a group of riders (tris/cyclists) were finishing a training bike ride around a three mile loop that entailed a hill climb. There had been a rain storm the previous night but LV said the weather was beautiful so they, not sure how many riders, went out for ride. The bottom of the ride turns a corner on the descent and there was a slight wash out of sand? This is where things get a little clouded. If they were doing loops the certainly must've of avoided that sand trap during the first two loops. However, on the last lap LV must have hit a thick part of the sandtrap/washout applied his brake he must have been in crouch position when he barreled over the handlebars hit his shoulder and neck impact on a guard rail.

[If anyone knows the road or site please identify it...so it can be a heads up for other cyclists in the area.]

I think these Olympic caliber riders should have assigned to them a designated "soigneur" who checks the road conditions before the riders set out. This accident could've been prevented by a soigneur getting out of his car and sweeping away the sand or setting up some orange cones.

The video had an email so one can send well wishes to LV. While I was disappointed he moved to triathlons, after seeing the video it's obvious there are more important things in life.

I highly recommend dropping him a line as he responded to mine fairly quickly. Doesn't take a lot of time and will help someone out.