VIDEO: My Paralyzing Crash

[450Racer]

Hey everybody. As you know about my crash, here it is. I'm doing much much better. I have movement the whole way down to my waist, no feeling though, which is strange. Well, here it is. I have it in 2x Slow, 1x Slow, and Real Time. http://media.putfile.com/Mastrocolas-Paralyzing-Crash

[quads14589]

omg dude wut did u break on that crash?

[fandl450r]

Wow man, get better sooner! You're definitely strong willed and a fighter. Keep up the progress.

[Honda TRX250ex]

Damn man, stay strong buddy!

[bansheerider4]

dang dude that sucks hope you make a full recovery....but did you feel anything when you landed or did it kncok you out?

[Ruby Soho]

:eek2:

ouch!

im a little confused on the feeling part, you said you have feeling down to your waiste, but no feeling?

[trick250r]

:eek2: holy chit!!! why does this kinda stuff happen to people who dont deserve it :( i forget his name, maybe ricky james :confused: but he's got a rig that you can put on the quad and still ride being parylized... maybe look him up and give him a call. idk about anybody else, but if i had a crash like that i couldnt look at a quad again :eek2:

[450Racer]

i broke both the bumper bolts and from the force of my body, trying to keep my body back, i bent the steering stem with my very own arms 4 inches forward. from what i'm told it looks like a banana. i don't remember the crash. they told me i was somewhat calm, because i couldn't feel. i do remember staring up at the blue sky and feeling nothing. then i forget. my mom said i was freaking out before they transferred me into the helicopter. we'll see how much more god heals me. my biceps (arms) were about 10" before the crash. today they were measured at 12 1/4". I want them to be 13 1/2" in 10 days. I've been here 29 days.

Sorry if i confused anyone...i have movement down to my waist, no feeling at all from my nipples down still. My therapists think I'm crazy. I wheelie off off curbs, up them, off of sidewalks and I wheelied for 1/4 mile the other day. My goals are to wheelie eventually 3 feet off of a stage or lip. Muahaha.

[LeGaCyGiAnT124]

damn dude, get better!

[Pappy]

I cant watch it:ermm:

I have no doubt though that you will recover more then most....;)

[JForestZ34]

I hope you feel better soon. I would think that you body is still in some kind of shock, that's could be why you have no feeling. Give your body time to heal and hopefully you'll be alright. I hope you don't have nerve damage, that was one mean looking crash.


James

[<DRS>GPF]

ow.. how did the parents handle it?.. i wouldve freaked to see that happen to the boy.. or anyone i know..

glad to know youre up and talking.. i suspect when all the swelling goes down youll be fully mobile again, but im sure you know its not gonna be easy or painless..

i truly wish you a speedy, painless as possible recovery.. keep us up to date on progress..

[hardkoratvmxr]

what caused the ltr to nose dive like that? and i will be praying for a speedy recovery. keep on keepin on

[atvRiDa400ex]

wow...and to think that almost happened to me a few times before....that sucks. i hope to god u have a full recovery.;) :(

[400exrider707]

It's stuff like this that makes me seriously think about not racing anymore:ermm: I hope you make a full recovery man.

[Phills450r]

really sorry to hear and hope you get better soon. that is also the same way i wrecked but got the lucky way out with only a broke collar bone and sore hip/back

keep us updated it

[LT250RMan]

WOW thats a bad crash man i hope you get better soon!!!,



What part of your back did you brake ??

[jdwxv3]

Good luck getting better. There are thoudsands of people who crash like that every year. Just rember everything happens for a reason. Stay strong and make the best of what you have.

Later, Josh

[ohsobad_chevy]

:eek: :eek: :eek:

HOLY CHIT!!! I hope you have a good recovery!! Keep up updated.

[Quad18star]

Holy hell man .

That's a nasty crash . I'm still praying for a full and speedy recovery for you .

Like it was asked before , what exactly happened ? Was it a screwed up lip on the jump , a preload of the suspension gone totally wrong or ... ????

I know it happened so fast , it's just too bad that you couldn't have bailed off .

[Ralph]

i had a very similar crash but i was lucky enough to bail off and walk away with a broken wrist.

I Wish you the best of luck and hope you make a good recovery. It sounds like you are a really strongwilled peson and you will make the best out of whatever happens

[Wheelie]

Get well soon.:macho

[Tommy 17]

damn ant that made me sick to my stomach... if u put it in slow motion u can actually see the front wheels push back a hell of a ways!!!


its hard to say what went wrong there but man did ur front end drop fast!

[xtremefullbore]

to be honest I had a crash that looked alot worse then that, I hit a dirtbike head-on while drag racing and I bailed off on impact and my atv did 5 flips on the air and landed on my chest, all that ended up happening was a broken rib, and broken arm, doctors told me even with the extent of injuries Im very lucky because I could have easily broken neck, back, or paralyzed even but I was going around 70 and the dirtbike came flying around a corner and I couldnt even hit the brakes and it was a KTM so it was fast and he hit me hard and he said he thought he was in upper 60's... :eek2: ... but none the less, I really hope you get better and dont let this make u quit you are a very good rider from what I hear so dont let this make you quit make it be a learning expericence for you and help you get better, I know after I wrecked about 8 months ago I swore up and down to my dad I was done and atv racing is stupid and he was happy for me cuz he knew how dangerous it is but now he cant keep me off the darn thing :p .. but the first time you hit a track it will be hard for you and you will have to get over that, I remember after I went back to st. joe state park and drag raced again I was scared but I know if I didnt get over it I never will... so I hope you get better :D .... and please dont give up on your dream its something you want to do so dont give up if you have the chance for it :D and I believe you will

[D-7#61-450r]

First off I hope you get better soon!
After watching your crash I realize how lucky I am today. I crashed very simular to that back in Jan. I was in 4th gear about half throttle when I took off. All I can remeber is looking at the ground and wondering if this is what Ryan Sowers felt like before he crashed. I don't remeber anything else for about 3 hours and it is sketchy for that afternoon, 1 1/2 hour ambulance ride and emergency room visit with cat scan xrays I just no I was there. My legs have large cherry's on them still and I tore my rotor cuff, and broke a rib. I still am not riding to let my brain heal a little, but I plan on riding soon. From hearing a little of what has happened to you I consider myself very lucky. Hopefully I will see you at a National in the future riding your tail off.

[Nick shupe]

that was nasty hope you get better soon man I hate seeing people eat it like that just remember you must always push the limits. Because if you never fail, you'll never succeed.

[hartnett18]

man thats a bad endo. did the rider behind you react and not slam into you? hope you can get a full recovery and get back out there. good luck

[450Racer]

hey everyone. thanks for all your kind words. i guess...the lip was messed up. Upperman, Spader, and a few other amateurs crashed the same day. Upperman was smart so he bailed off, shook it off and got back on and rode just is hard which is too faast. luckily, i was ahead far enough from the rider behind me. there were only one or two other riders in my class that attempted that jump for the same reason Spader and Upperman crashed. so i guess i was leaning forward to far on the tank and it possibly stalled, i can't remember. i broke my T3, T4, T5 and shattered T6 and T7. my spinal cord is severely bruised and lacerated. i'm a "complete" injury. they said i have less than a 1% chance of walking again. if i do, i need a walker or a cane or crutches. as much as i would like to, i won't be racing again. however, i'll be messing around on a practice track somewhere someday. whether i'm tied in, tied down, and tied up, i'll make it around ok. i'm getting a superman tatoo on my back next week when i leave here. then i should be moving to Georgia. tomorrow, i'll post some of the racing footage i have. it's pretty cool. check it out. tomorrow night. thanks again everybody for everything. ttly later

[Iliketogofast]

That sucks bad.

When you say you are making progress, is that to say that you may one day walk again?

I hope you're feeling better soon... Crashes suck.

[wolffie]

man dude. i really hope things work out for you. hopefully you can prove the docs wrong and be able to walk again. keep your chin up. i'll keep ya in my prayers.:macho

[nosliw]

Originally posted by 450Racer
they said i have less than a 1% chance of walking again.

and you're 17. that's got to be the most devastating thing i've ever heard in my life bro. my heart sank to the pit of my stomach when i read that.

[DieselBoy]

Originally posted by nosliw
and you're 17. that's got to be the most devastating thing I've ever heard in my life bro. my heart sank to the pit of my stomach when i read that.

Same here

Good luck, don't give up.

[Seano300ex]

dam, get well soon dude

[Mx_523]

Damn man. Get well soon. I love the positive additude about your crash and riding again. With it you'll be riding on a Mx track in no time. Keep up the good work.

[firefighterjosh]

I hope you get well soon. My prayers are with you.

That's our sport.
Hope you get full recovery

[blakefoote]

my CP cant watch the video...you're in my prayers dude!

I also race 265C class luckily i wasnt there to see that though. All i can say is keep on truckin! dont ever hang your head over this....

BEST OF WISHES
Blake Foote #191;)

[DezSled]

Don't ever give up young man. Remember they race them 'rhino's
too! Get back up and show em. Best wishes

[Ralph]

I have a feeling you might be that 1%. If you work hard enough you can nearly do anything

[Anthony's Dad]

Well, I guess I'm qualified to answer the question about "what did your parents think".
At the Steel City National on Saturday, Anthony rode like the wind. He won and finished about ten seconds ahead of second place in 265 and made a last minute pass to take the production class win. I thought, "finally, Anthony is reaching his goals". He has always been an exceptional rider and was just getting his new quadracer dialed in. He got a bad start on Sunday, about fourteenth out of the gate. Less than two laps in, he was up to fifth. I was videotaping when I saw the nose drop over a double. He had hit this jump over a dozen times and landed perfectly. Somehow, the jump changed. I dropped the camera and got a real sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. He's crashed hard before and it always makes me sick. When I got to him the medics were already there. He said, "Dad, I love you.. I'm paralyzed". It was Father's Day that Sunday and he wanted to make me proud.
I have always been proud of both of my sons. They don't get involved with drinking or drugs and they're not afraid to stand up for what they believe in. I was so proud of Anthony winning two national races but it can't compare to the pride I feel today having a son that can keep such an awesome positive attitude. He even goes around to other spinal injury patients to lift their sprits. He has had to grow up a lot in the last month. He has had to learn how to move from his bed into a wheelchair, into a car, onto the toilet, etc. using only his upper body dragging his legs. Instead of cheering him up, he usually makes us feel better.
You are all correct in saying, "if it's possible, he''ll do it. Instead of whining and moaning in therapy, he just tells them to increase the weight. He is an inspiration to anyone that meets him. I wish like hell that it wasn't my son that had this accident, but I believe that God has a purpose for giving him this challenge and I am sure that he will make a difference in other people's lives.
For all of you reading this, I will echo what Anthony's Mom said in another post.. Buy the best safety gear that you can afford. Buy a top of the line helmet before you pay to have your head ported. Buy the best chest protector you can find before you get a new exhaust, etc. There will always be time to make your quad faster, but protect YOURSELF now!!
Anthony is alive because he had great gear. He would have a severe head injury or be dead if he wasn't wearing the best helmet he could buy thanks to his Aunt Dee Dee and Cernic's Suzuki.
Thank you all for your words of encouragement and please keep Anthony in your prayers. God Bless you and be safe!

Chris Mastrocola

[WhiteYFZ]

man i hate to hear this. i feel so bad:(
so you cant feel anything, but you can still move you legs and arms and stuff?

[Phills450r]

Originally posted by WhiteYFZ
man i hate to hear this. i feel so bad:(
so you cant feel anything, but you can still move you legs and arms and stuff?

no he cannot feel his legs im pretty sure.

best of luck to you

[firefighterjosh]

I glad to hear he is keeping this positive. Like somone else said earlier in the thread. There racing Rhinos now! Don't let anything stand in your way. Nothing is impossible.

[miller821]

Haha thats crappy but at least your looking at it positively... Get better soon!

[stoled_400_:(]

Originally posted by Ralph
I have a feeling you might be that 1%. If you work hard enough you can nearly do anything

with the attitude he apparently has, i think i'd be more surprised if he didn't end up walking again. keep up the great work, anthony :cool:

[ohsobad_chevy]

I know its easier to say it than to do it, but when you endo like that, you need to bail, just for that reason. I endo like that out at little sahara and bailed over the handlebars. My side hurt, but I didnt break anything, of course I landed on sand and not dirt, big difference!!

Get well soon, bro!! We will be praying for you. :)

[redracing88]

wow man i hope you get better i know you dont want to live the rest of your life the way you are now. my aunt has a desise that does the same thing to hurt yet its not an injury and its really hard on the hole family to see. i hope you make a full recovery and we will see at the track soon.


also wasent there a similar acident on here but with the pro racers i forget where it was but i remeber it.

[Nausty]

i'm hoping everything works out okay man.

[jjames/jlawson]

Anthony,
Keep going forward.......with your therapy and attitude.
No doubt you will.....You are "Superman"
Praying for ya
Jeremy Lawson #16

[Doober]

i love the positive atttitude hes got, reminds me of my dads before he passed with cancer. Best of luck dude.

[161xchonda]

Have a speedy recovery man. My uncle was paralyzed in a quad crash too. Get well soon. Never give up.

hey man that sucks what happened and umm the link to (putfile) could you upload it maybe somewhere else like www.rapidshare.de or www.youtube.com

[ELewandowski]

Good luck man, with everything. With your attitude, i'm sure you will be riding again.

[450Racer]

thanks dad. i can't move or feel my legs or butt, or...i also can't feel up to my nipples but i do have some movement in my abs. some people here when they hear you have less than 1% chance to walk, they give up and get depressed and crappy. i say, respectfully, screw the doctors opinions, i'm goign to show them all up and show everyone what god and a positive attitude can do. if i can't walk, i'll do everything else but run. i'll race something. i'm getting a car now. Mustang GT hopefully. maybe i'll build it up and drag race that. or, get a Rhino, or something along those lines and be fast again. if i stay this way, i can't race again. i've thought about it, i don't wnat to take advantage that i didn't die, and, my family would be a wreck, and it would be extremely hard. so, i'll find something to do. but, i'm staying in the sport. i want to help out some other races, open up a shop and sponsor some riders. we'll see.

[ohsobad_chevy]

Hang in there, buddy!!! We are praying for ya!!

[blakefoote]

Originally posted by Anthony's Dad
Well, I guess I'm qualified to answer the question about "what did your parents think".
At the Steel City National on Saturday, Anthony rode like the wind. He won and finished about ten seconds ahead of second place in 265 and made a last minute pass to take the production class win. I thought, "finally, Anthony is reaching his goals". He has always been an exceptional rider and was just getting his new quadracer dialed in. He got a bad start on Sunday, about fourteenth out of the gate. Less than two laps in, he was up to fifth. I was videotaping when I saw the nose drop over a double. He had hit this jump over a dozen times and landed perfectly. Somehow, the jump changed. I dropped the camera and got a real sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. He's crashed hard before and it always makes me sick. When I got to him the medics were already there. He said, "Dad, I love you.. I'm paralyzed". It was Father's Day that Sunday and he wanted to make me proud.
I have always been proud of both of my sons. They don't get involved with drinking or drugs and they're not afraid to stand up for what they believe in. I was so proud of Anthony winning two national races but it can't compare to the pride I feel today having a son that can keep such an awesome positive attitude. He even goes around to other spinal injury patients to lift their sprits. He has had to grow up a lot in the last month. He has had to learn how to move from his bed into a wheelchair, into a car, onto the toilet, etc. using only his upper body dragging his legs. Instead of cheering him up, he usually makes us feel better.
You are all correct in saying, "if it's possible, he''ll do it. Instead of whining and moaning in therapy, he just tells them to increase the weight. He is an inspiration to anyone that meets him. I wish like hell that it wasn't my son that had this accident, but I believe that God has a purpose for giving him this challenge and I am sure that he will make a difference in other people's lives.
For all of you reading this, I will echo what Anthony's Mom said in another post.. Buy the best safety gear that you can afford. Buy a top of the line helmet before you pay to have your head ported. Buy the best chest protector you can find before you get a new exhaust, etc. There will always be time to make your quad faster, but protect YOURSELF now!!
Anthony is alive because he had great gear. He would have a severe head injury or be dead if he wasn't wearing the best helmet he could buy thanks to his Aunt Dee Dee and Cernic's Suzuki.
Thank you all for your words of encouragement and please keep Anthony in your prayers. God Bless you and be safe!

Chris Mastrocola

wow im speechless...god bless yall...

[diangelo#67]

hey anthony, this is mario #67 white ltr stock rider. I've been trying to get where your staying cuz I got some stuff for you hats and shirts from my company pm me when you get a chance.

[JRP]

Originally posted by 450Racer
thanks dad. i can't move or feel my legs or butt, or...i also can't feel up to my nipples but i do have some movement in my abs. some people here when they hear you have less than 1% chance to walk, they give up and get depressed and crappy. i say, respectfully, screw the doctors opinions, i'm goign to show them all up and show everyone what god and a positive attitude can do. if i can't walk, i'll do everything else but run. i'll race something. i'm getting a car now. Mustang GT hopefully. maybe i'll build it up and drag race that. or, get a Rhino, or something along those lines and be fast again. if i stay this way, i can't race again. i've thought about it, i don't wnat to take advantage that i didn't die, and, my family would be a wreck, and it would be extremely hard. so, i'll find something to do. but, i'm staying in the sport. i want to help out some other races, open up a shop and sponsor some riders. we'll see.

dude your the strongest person i have ever herd and talked to before in my whole life. I belive you will walk again, and be great at something else.:)

[4punksdad]

I guess I am fortunate..............been riding for about 30 years without any serious injuries. For me, its about fun & good times. Never raced in any serious organized events....................don't think I'll start.

wish you well.............& hope to hell you regain full function & feeling.

[Pappy]

Anthony, I ran across a rider a few years back that had no use of his legs after an automobile accident. I watched him ride for 20 minutes before he pulled over and I found out he was a parapaligic.

[Pappy]

He was riding well beyond most riders abilities and pretty much carried your will to keep going no matter what.

I even watched him dump it on a landing, and before I made it to him he crawled to his quad and was back aboard. i felt sorry for him at first, but then I realized he was living life to its fullest. Doing what he could with what he had where he was at.

[blakefoote]

Originally posted by Pappy
Anthony, I ran across a rider a few years back that had no use of his legs after an automobile accident. I watched him ride for 20 minutes before he pulled over and I found out he was a parapaligic.

thats amazing!!

[nosliw]

how would he shift?

[Pappy]

Originally posted by nosliw
how would he shift?

he had a hand shifter

[nosliw]

Originally posted by Pappy
he had a hand shifter


oh, like a suicide shifter? did he have the clutch lever on the shifter so he could pull it in and bump it accordingly?

that's cool

[Pappy]

He had a regular clutch if I remeber correctly. i was more inspired by his riding and did not take alot of notice to his quad

[jdwxv3]

The video is on trx450r.org as well. I told them to check the thread out over here but if they dont can some one find it and link this thread in so they can read it over there.

[ONEDSOB]

Best of luck to you young man. I admire your positive attitude. God bless you and your family!

[procircuit406ex]

Keep your head up man,good luck.Your in my prayers:)

[stocktires]

Your a huge inspiration and have really calmed a few of my fears of a bad crash like yours. I wish you the best! Keep us updated!

[blakefoote]

god bless you and JJ!!!!

[atvRiDa400ex]

truly an inspiration to all!:D :)

[ohsobad_chevy]

Originally posted by atvRiDa400ex
truly an inspiration to all!:D :)

Roger that...Hang in there, bro!! :)

[insaneracin2003]

Originally posted by ohsobad_chevy
Roger that...Hang in there, bro!! :)
same here,good luck to you in the future with your rehab,I pray everything works out for you and your family.I would say"keep your head up" but i think you beat me to it :macho

Originally posted by trick250r
:eek2: holy chit!!! why does this kinda stuff happen to people who dont deserve it :( i forget his name, maybe ricky james :confused: but he's got a rig that you can put on the quad and still ride being parylized... maybe look him up and give him a call. idk about anybody else, but if i had a crash like that i couldnt look at a quad again :eek2:

uh dude....he used duck tape....i read the whole article....;)

[JKWGA400EX]

oh ,man,i almost cried reading all this,remember with God anything is possible.prayng for u,were there is a will there is a way.


-jared

[KXRida]

Just a little update. He's currently in kentucky watching the GNCC nationals with Jerameiha (sp?) Jones and the entire factory suzuki team. Jones and anthony sat on top of the suzuki rig and watched the nationals. They also met up with wayne hinson from hinson racing at dinner. Alls I can say is thank you guys (the entire quad community) for being so supportive in anthony's time of need. Thanks

-Randy

[rYan01400EX]

Wow, I just read about this. Very, very sad. All my prayers go to you man. I'm very happy that you are able to sit here at the computer and type to us. I hope for a speedy recovery and pray for the best man!

[Abrannan19]

man it is amazing that he has such a good outlook on it..like he said most people hear tha 1% and give up..Dont ever give up bro..with GOD anything is possible..I will be praying for you and I haope that you make a full recovery and you have great parents..I am seriously thinking about selling my bike..

My prayers are with you and your family.

[y3llow400ex]

its awsome you have such a positive outlook on the situation. i've never crashed hard like that but if i ever get in a situation like that i only hope i could be half as strong as you are. best of luck to you and keep us updated.

[jjames/jlawson]

Hey Anthony,

Will you post your address or email or myspace
I am sure there is lots of people that would like to say hey......

You are amazing-----keep that charming smile and attitude....

Jackie

Daggum, dude. Nasty crash.

Your great attitude is an inspiration.

I suspect whatever you set your mind to doing in the future, yer gonna be a huge success.

[Anthony's Dad]

In response to your request, Anthony's home address is

Anthony Mastrocola
1515 S. Jaggard St.
Altoona, PA 16602

I'll let Anthony post the details, but it was another dream weekend at the nationals in Kentucky. There has been incredible support from the entire ATV family. Congrats to Jeremy Lawson on an incredible ride this weekend!! The Vets better get ready cause Lawson is a serious threat for the title next year. He and Wimmer were crazy fast!

A quick thanks to Wayne Hinson and the entire Yosh Suzuki team, Harlen Foley, Jorge Cuartas, Jeremiah Jones and family, and the "Angel of ATV Racing", Debi Bartosek.

Oh, by the way, it ain't over yet. Anthony hooked up with Wes Miller again and depending on the future of Rhino Racing, the number 17 will be back! As soon as a class and rules are established, he will be looking for sponsors once again.

Also, sorry we missed the big party at Breezewood Proving Grounds, but Anthony promised to be there for Jeremiah in Kentucky. If any of you haven't had the opportunity to get to BPG yet, it's well worth the drive and Dan Harris runs a great facility and is a true gentleman. Guys like that are hard to find.

"Live Fast or Die Slow" #17

[450r51]

are you guys gonna be at the bartosek race at mapleshade?

[kawi_kfx13]

holy sh*t...man thats sorta wat i did...but it didnt flip over me i just broke my leg bad...i just did that 3 weeks ago...but man my leg is nothin to that...heal up man...ur in my prayers

[xx3003xrdrxx]

I was thinking about going when is it . Get well soon budd! Like everyone's been saying Dont give up! I watched you ride ... and crash that day , I prayed for you the second after you went down man .......... You're a hell of a fast rider on a quad , only time will tell what else you can conquer! :)

Best of luck for a speedy recovery


Chris Glover -

[Anthony's Dad]

We are going to try to go to the Matt Bartosek Memorial race but it's Anthony's brothers birthday. We have to go at least for a while. Matt's Mom has been a blessing during Anthony's recovery. She organized a huge fundraiser for Anthony and let us use her Rhino for the Kentucky national. She is AWESOME!! She is truly an angel. If you see us there, please stop over and say hello. Anthony really enjoys talking to his fellow racers. Thanks.

[jjames/jlawson]

Thanks for the support for Jeremy.......even though I am his mom, I agree he will be one to watch in 2007.

Thanks for the address, and tell Anthony we said hello......I just love that smile of his......it just makes ya happy feeling when he flashes that smile and pearly whites........

Cant wait to see him in a Rhino......awesome.........

Maybe see you all at Matt's race.

Go Forward
Jackie and Jeremy Lawson

[Kennethyfz450]

I wish I didn't watch the video:(

I'm praying for you bro! I hope you can prove all the doctors wrong!

Stay Strong!!!:macho

[jrm03]

God be with you brother. keep the positive outlook.