Injured BMX Rider Stephen Murray Not Forgotten as Dew Tour Rolls On
Jul 20 2007 / Los Angeles, CA
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Murray, a 27-year-old BMX Dirt rider from Corona, CA (orginally from the UK), was critically injured after crashing in the BMX Dirt finals of the Panasonic Open, the first Dew Tour stop, on June 22, 2007. He was rushed to a Baltimore-area hospital where he received treatment for a broken neck and underwent several operations within his first few days of admittance. He was held in Baltimore until this week, when he was moved to the Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado, one of the top-ranked rehabilitation hospitals in the country for spinal-cord injuries.
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When the accident first happened, those who saw it knew that it was a devesating injury. The Panasonic Open went on Saturday and Sunday without much word being disclosed to the public beyond on-air call outs to Murray and his family by BMX rider Jamie Bestwick, who was providing commentary for NBC and USA for the BMX Vert and Park finals. But behind the scenes word spread of the extent of Murray's injury and his family was on its way to his bedside in Baltimore.
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Once the Dew Tour stop was over, the BMX community bonded together as more details came out about Murray's condition -- he had crushed his 3rd, 4th and 5th cervical vertebrae and the first concern was not whether he would compete or even walk again, but whether he would survive the week. Hoping to quell misinformation, the family chose the popular industry website BMXTalk.com to post updates of Murray's condition. The good and the bad have been part of the regular updates, which come every few days or as warrented.
At the same time, the Stephen Murray Family Fund was set up by his friends/management and brought to light the ugly reality behind action sports -- athletes put themselves in terrible danger for very little money and if they are injured, insurance may not even make a dent in the huge costs they might face while recovering. Murray, recently married and the father of two young boys, was not unlike many athletes: making enough to be comfortable and happy, but not enough to prepare for a horrifying situation as this. Waivers are required by the AST Dew Tour and competitors must provde proof of insurance, but that doesn't mean they will be covered completely when such an injury takes place.
Fellow riders and those in the BMX community realized that and no sooner than the accident happened than did benefits start being announced. One of the first was a benefit jam at The Compund in Perris, CA, a place where Murray trained and rode often. That was followed by EBay auctions, more benefits (including a second at The Compound) and most recently, a chairty auction set up by the Dew Tour featuring many items related to the event, including autographed gear from athletes like Ryan Sheckler and fellow BMX Dirt rider Anthony Napolitan.
While the money will be important and help with his recovery, it's clear from his family's communication that the support of friends and fans is just as important in keeping him going.
"Please keep your E mails coming as they are a great source of support to Stephen and his family alike," wrote family friend Paul Roberts, in one update.
The support is there, from the casual fans who may read about his accident online, or to the pros who were there who come out to the benefits to support their fallen comrade..
"He's as tough as nails." fellow pro Corey Bohan told Lat34.com at one of the benefits.
“I get goose bumps thinking about it," former roommate Cory "Nasty" Nastazio said about the accident. "In fact right now 50% of me wants to quit, 50% of me wants to keep going.”
No doubt there will be many stories shared about the popular rider at the Right Guard Tour and while he won't be there in body, he is there in spirit.
- Lat34.com
