Video: Gee Atherton Shares Injury Recovery Update & Future Plans

May 9, 2022 at 6:30
by Ed Spratt  

bigquotesIn June last year World Champion Mountain-biker Gee Atherton was horrifically injured when he fell over 100 feet from a cliff during filming “The Knife Edge” , one of the big mountain projects that he loves.

Prompted by the support that he has received and the huge number of questions, Gee has put together this edit to chart his physio and recovery. Join him at an exciting time for any athlete as he moves into the next stage of his journey back to the top of his sport.

Huge thanks to Red Bull, Doug Jones and the team at Altius Healthcare—The Athertons


Author Info:
edspratt avatar

Member since Mar 16, 2017
3,063 articles
Must Read This Week
Pole Bicycles Has Filed for Bankruptcy
63150 views
Kona Bicycles' Parent Company Appoints New CFO, Intends to Sell Brand
62921 views
Randoms Round 3: Dario's Treasures
42411 views
Downhill Bikes of Sea Otter - Part 1
40419 views
Brian's Randoms from Sea Otter 2024
38507 views
Pinkbike's DH Fantasy League: Get Your Team On The Line - Fort William is in TWO WEEKS!
37750 views
[UPDATED] Final Elite XC Results & Overall Standings from the Araxá XC World Cup 2024
37188 views
Randoms Round 1 - Sea Otter 2024
37111 views
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup

37 Comments
  • 39 0
 Feeling bad for the mountain he crushed, it will never recover
  • 34 2
 I'm still getting over a pedal to the shin. JK- Wish he didn't have the set back that he did- still, ATHesome comeback, how inspiring to see! Hats off to Gee!
  • 1 1
 read the text and scratched my head wondering if i had just experienced the shortest ress release that told me nothing ......then realised edit is cool bro language for a video doh
  • 13 0
 Totally trashed my elbow a month ago, broken bone torn ligaments and tendons all the way down to the wrist. Needless to say. I am dead scared to get back on the bike and ride the way i used to...if ever again. The way the pro's get back up even after horrible crashes like G's is so telling of why they are professional. Dead set legend!
  • 11 0
 I destroyed my arm several years back while riding BMX (my preferred type of riding) and was told I'd never ride again. Admittedly, it just hurts too damn bad to ride BMX, but I can still ride MTB. In fact, I've hit the biggest jumps of my life after that crash, despite thinking I would be relegated to bland XC and gravel riding. It was tough, and if I could give my past self advice it would be: continue PT for as long as possible, and get a damn therapist! The mental toll was arguable worse than the physical one. Hope you heal up soon!
  • 5 0
 @BobbyHillbomb: great words of encoragement and advice! Thank you.

The mental part is the hardest at this stage because i keep replaying the accident and kind of nauseate myself thinking of it. Would be interesting to hear G's mental approach and how he deals with getting the trauma out of mind after such a severe crash .
Also at 40 healing takes on a different meaning than it did at 20. I'll start out doing some gravel and then progress from there. I have always held the belief that after a crash you get better on the bike ? Will see how it goes.
  • 5 0
 Torched my elbow one year ago. Worked at it literally every day since. Now closing in on 100%. You'll be back, stay on it.
  • 2 0
 I broke my T4/5, 5 ribs, wrist, and had some internal bleeding 3 years back or so. When it's not your job to get back at it just take your time and ride at a comfortable pace. I was back racing enduro and pushing pace by about 10 months after the crash but I didn't force myself to ride gnarly stuff and even enjoyed road riding for awhile.
  • 4 0
 After my wreck two years ago at age 50 there's two reasons I am scared to ride as hard again and it's been a massive grind to get back to my (average rider) level. #1 is fear or injury again but #2 is the fact that I haven't been injured in full adulthood (job, kids, house, dog, etc...) and being laid up had such an effect on everyone in my life that I realized I really can't afford to get hurt. So I still ride and have come a long way but I am so much more calculated in what I do - I really need to know I can do it and I have such a different attitude about walking away from something I don't feel 100% on.
  • 1 0
 @swellhunter: i feel both of your points.
The look on my daughters face when she saw me shriveled with pain hit home.
#3 for me. I got off "lightly"this time, but as the main source of income in our household if it was worse everyone in my family would have come off worse.
Thankfully i took out medical insurance 15 years ago as that additional expense would have been a huge expense to cover so quickly... not to even mention the state of our state hospitals
  • 7 0
 It would be great to have an insight from Gee into the aspects of his psychological recovery from a trauma like this, especially as he gets older. Having just totalled myself again recently, my first thoughts as I lay in the dust trying to get air back into the lung that was still inflated was, how am I going to come to terms with the risks that are inherent in this sport I love?
  • 10 0
 And how to justify it to the wife
  • 3 0
 When you start to worry about getting hurt while you are riding - it’s time to back her down. You’ll know when it happens. Depending on personal skill, riding at 90% is still really fun and the probability of ruining yourself is very low.
  • 3 0
 @txcx166: I would agree with this. I think at some point you just kind of know when it’s time to back off a bit. 10 years ago every time I went to the bike park I wanted to do something I’d never done. Wether it be bigger jump or drop, a new gnarly line, gap a new section, etc. it was always pushing.

Now I rarely ride the hardest trails or hit the biggest jumps and drops. And I’m 100% fine with it and still have a great time. It didn’t happen overnight. It was gradual. All of a sudden I’d think and realize I hadn’t done a certain gnarly section all summer. Or I hadn’t hit the big drop since last season.
  • 1 0
 @sino428: and the thought of taking care of kids when you have broken bones... Some things are more important than the biggest and gnarliest. Just riding is great fun.
  • 6 0
 It is so impressive how professional athletes can get back from the most horrific crashes. In the case of Gee not for the first time
  • 3 0
 So true about not missing out steps in the rehab process, the corrective exercises lay the foundations for the strength work to be built on.
I’ve been hampered by a misaligned pelvis, which caused so many muscular and flexibility issues. The corrective exercises that I’m working through with my trainer are tough, but totally necessary if I’m going to get everything back where it should be.
  • 3 0
 Coming back from a femur break is brutal. I can totally relate to what he said about getting back on the bike being the motivation to keep at it. Heal up soon Gee, looking forward to seeing you back at the races.
  • 3 0
 Yeah, appears he is still limping quite a bit, hopefully no nerve damage
  • 1 0
 Gee Atherton! Get it done! It’s great to see this recovery on track. I never would have guessed that trippy jazz music is the way forward. That’s rad.
  • 3 0
 So damn happy hes able to come back from this. Looking strong Gee!
  • 2 0
 @ jha

" Does atherton make an ebike?
Asking for a friend"

Your friend says you will suit an E bike : )
  • 9 0
 If they would it will be called The E-therton
  • 1 0
 Crack on Gee. Thanks for sharing this, good inspiration for those of us going through rehab ourselves.
  • 1 0
 Somebody posted this crash video on TikTok & it’s got almost 7 million views.
  • 2 0
 Gee-Unit!
  • 2 0
 There's no quit in Gee!
  • 1 0
 Saw the uncensored version of the crash... Unbelievable.
  • 1 0
 Is an e bike like a big vibrator with pedals?
  • 1 0
 All the cool kids ride gee-bikes
  • 1 0
 man relives near death experience would have been proper clickbait title
  • 1 0
 Haters gonna hate
  • 1 0
 #badass
  • 1 0
 My Dog stood on a Bee…
  • 2 4
 Does atherton make an ebike?
Asking for a friend
  • 2 0
 Currently in progress.....







Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv65 0.032312
Mobile Version of Website