Defying the odds Trinity Sport scholar Melanie Griffith shares her incredible journey from motocross to wheelchair sports after a life-changing accident Melanie Griffith’s journey from was something weird about that motocross athlete to wheelchair day in my head. Maybe there was sports trailblazer is a testament pressure to qualify for the pros, to her resilience – her setback and with the rain, everything was has become a springboard for getting to me. It wasn’t even the remarkable achievements in biggest crash I’d had but it did a parasport. Melanie fell in love lot of damage; it shattered my with off-road motorcycle racing T12, broke my L1, fractured three or motocross at the tender age of of my ribs. Not a scratch on me eight after trying it out for the first elsewhere.’ Griffith was just 20 and time on a family holiday in France. in her second year of Microbiology As soon as she came home, she at Trinity when the accident bought her own motorbike. The happened on 22 July, 2022. 22-year-old microbiology student, from Co Carlow, was always sports mad from a young age, swimming, playing badminton, hockey, and rugby, but this influence didn’t come from her parents who she describes as ‘not particularly sporty’. Motocross is off-road bike racing that takes place on gravel, mud, My head is always in a much better place when I’m playing sport Melanie spent eleven and a half weeks in the Mater Hospital waiting for a rehabilitation bed. Once her ribs healed, she completed the rehab programme in seven weeks as opposed to the scheduled 12 weeks. ‘I think my physical strength really helped when I had the accident, as I progressed so or grass road circuits and is one of quickly in rehab – a lot of people the most exciting motorsports to work hard to transfer in and out of a compete in and watch. ‘I progressed quite quickly, by wheelchair and to lift their own body weight whereas the time I was thirteen I was always front of the pack, I did that from week two of rehab. I went through the but then the boys hit puberty and they went ahead of rehabilitation programme extremely quickly, coming me again! The last two or three years before I had my from a motocross background and having that physical accident, I was progressing in the sport once again. I strength really helped me.’ was competing in England, my top finish was second in the UK Championship, and twice finishing third in the UK Girls Nationals. Before I had my accident, I was the fastest girl in Ireland in motocross and mainly competing with men, finishing 26 out of 70 competitors putting me in the top class with the pros and semi pros. That was a big deal for me.’ ‘I wanted to get back into sport straight away as sport has always been such a great outlet for me, I used it for stress relief – my head is always in a much better place when I’m playing sport. When I had my accident all I could think about was when I could go back playing sport. Sport is the reason why I accepted my accident and progressed so quickly through the rehabilitation The weekend Melanie had her lifechanging accident, programme.’ Four months after her accident, Melanie she was competing at her home track in Doon, Co was discharged from hospital and one week later she Offaly. There was no pressure on the first day of racing was training for wheelchair basketball. She went on to as all she had to do was finish the race and she had the make her debut for Ireland in wheelchair basketball in Irish women’s championship won. Melanie was due to January 2023, six months after her accident. compete in the men’s race on the second day and was looking to qualify for the pro class once again. ‘There T
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