Sophomore ready to ride again

By Luis Gomez

editor-in-chief

It was Super Bowl Sunday around 2:00 in the afternoon, and instead of watching others on television live out their sports dreams, he was preparing to live out his own. He was excited for another race, the thrill of the chase and being chased, the competition, the adrenaline. He heard the starting gun...but sophomore John Brak does not remember much after that.

Even though Brak does not remember what actually happened at Dell Valle Motocross Park during that day’s race, he won’t soon forget the events as told to him by others.

“I hit this 100-foot table top and my bike just endo’d (end-over-end) and landed pretty much straight on my head,” Brak said. “I was knocked out instantly and started twitching.”

Brak’s life was now at risk. He was immediately taken, by ambulance, to The Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, which was about 15-minutes away from the track. His parents were notified and were given a medical diagnosis.

According to Brak’s doctor, it was a brain bruise, which the doctor mentioned would cause Brak to have a temporary memory loss.

“I remembered listening to my I-pod after the accident,” Brak said, “and it was funny to know that I knew the song but could not remember the lyrics.”

Although the incident did not have serious consequences, Brak said that his family members were really worried about him.

“Well, my dad was really worried about me,” Brak said, “but he tried to calm my sister and my mom, who were freaked out, and told them that it was not a big deal. However, it was a big deal.”

Motocross racing became one of Brak’s favorite hobbies after watching a Disney Channel movie entitled “Motocross.” The movie, Brak said, helped him get a perspective of what motocross racing really was.

“I was watching the movie on the Disney Channel, and I liked it,” Brak said. “After that I just started racing.”

Brak has been part of motocross racing for the past three years. However, it was not until that Sunday afternoon experience in Austin that made Brak change the way he looked at things. He became a more cautious person.

“It really changed the way I control my bike,” Brak said. “Now, I just want to be in total control of everything I do, know what is around me, and try not to make any mistake.”

After being off the track for a whole year, as the doctor suggested, Brak went back to motocross racing this month. Ironically, he returned to the same track where the accident happened.

Even though Brak is not planning to race professionally in the future and looks forward to becoming a commercial airline pilot, he points out that he enjoys and will continue racing.

“It is so fun, it is so cool, and it is like nothing else,” Brak said. “Just hitting the corners and having it lay over, throwing dirt everywhere, hitting the biggest jumps you can, and having such an adrenaline rush. Wow it is just great.“

According to Brak, his parents think differently about him racing again. His dad, he said, is as excited as he is to race again.

“My dad is really supportive of it,” Brak said. “He is ready to go again. My mom, however, really does not want me to race again. Still, after the year is over with, I believe she will be kind of okay with it and will allow it.”

Brak said that being on his motorcycle for the first time after the accident was an experience he won’t forget.

“My balance and coordination was still kind of off. It just felt really weird,” Brak said.

Brak was racing against 250F youth or riders ranging from the ages of 12 to 16. However, some tracks do not offer this class. So he will start racing in MX Lites Intermediate, which is a step below expert. Brak believes that he is now more prepared for anything that can happen in future races.

“I have a really good helmet now,” Brak said. “I have this new neck brace thing called a Leatt Brace. I am just as protected as I can be. I just try to minimize my mistakes and not let that kind of stuff happen anymore.”

“I remembered listening to my I-pod after the accident,” Brak said, “and it was funny to know that I knew the song but could not remember the lyrics.”

~John Brak

All photos submitted