Matti Lehikoinen Seriously Injured In Training Accident

While training and filming with a friend in Helsinki yesterday, Matti Lehikoinen had an accident that resulted in breaking his back.

Matti was immediately transferred to hospital where a series of scans have confirmed 3 fractured vertabrae.He has movemovent in all limbs and is not feeling any numbness, and so at this point, the prognosis for a full recovery is looking very good. The doctors are meeting today to decide what the next step will be, insofar as an operation or other courses of action.

"I spoke to Matti for 10 minutes this morning. He's in a lot of pain, but he is remaining completely positive. He told me that he went to go off a very small drop off, about a meter high, on his home trails when something caught his rear wheel just as his front wheel left the drop off. The bike pitched suddenly forward and threw him over the handlebars onto his back. He knew immediately that he had suffered a severe injury, and remained still as his mate called for the ambulance. Right now all we can do is wait for more information from the medical experts, and support Matti, and his family who have been very shocked by this news," - Martin Whiteley.

People wishing to send Matti a message can do so through his web site www.mattilehikoinen.com and we know he will really appreciate hearing from everyone once he can have access to his phone and computer again, but for now, the focus is on keeping him comfortable, and getting the prognosis we all want to hear.