After a five months off the bike with several broken bones, Nelko returning to races Saturday
You’ll have to forgive Benjamin Nelko if he’s not completely composed when he races Saturday.
Nelko has been a professional motocross racer since 2014, but when he gets on his bike Saturday for a race at High Point National at Mt. Morris, Pa., it will be the first time the 23-year-old Aliquippa native has raced in almost half a year.
It was five months ago when Nelko broke his hip, pelvis and femur. The injuries should have slowed him down longer than they have, but Nelko has pushed through his rehab and recovered ahead of schedule for his race Saturday, which is a part of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, the highest level off-road motorcycle series. Nelko races in the 250 class, where the sport’s up-and-comers do battle and hone their skills.
“I’ve been practicing, but practice isn’t anything like an actual race. I’m excited,” said Nelko, a Hopewell graduate. “I’m trying not to be nervous, but the nerves are definitely there.”
Five months ago, such a race wouldn’t hold a special meaning to Nelko. But things changed during a practice race, when motor failure forced Nelko to leap off his bike.
“Everything was fine. I went up for the first practice and it was good. And then the second practice came and I had a motor failure and I had to jump off the bike. I flew about 70 feet and landed on my right leg and broke my hip, my femur and my pelvis,” Nelko said.
“I was knocked out. Whenever I woke up I was in the ambulance and I wasn’t able to move either of my legs. I got to the hospital and they told me what happened.”
Nelko had had his fair share of injuries before. He’d broken bones, but this was different. For the first two months, Nelko spent much of his time laid up in bed. The time left Nelko pondering just how bright his future was in the sport.
“The worst part about it is laying there and not being able to do the things you know you’re supposed to be doing,” Nelko said. “We all train our whole lives for racing, and whenever you just lay there and can’t do anything to make yourself better. That’s what kind of screws you up mentally whenever you get back on the bike because you think in your head, ‘What if I can’t do this again?’’
But Nelko wouldn’t let those thoughts encompass him. Doctors originally told him that he wouldn’t be able to get back on a bike until June, let alone participate in a race. But three weeks after his surgery, Nelko already was able to start working out his upper body. And exactly three months after the surgery, Nelko was already back on the bike, training again.
“Physical therapy was great,” Nelko said. “I actually only went to my physical therapist three times, and then I decided to do it on my own to speed up the process. So I just did everything that I thought would work. I just did a lot of stretching and took it easy for a long time until I felt I was strong enough to make it on the bike.”
A regular day of training starts with Nelko meeting his trainer at the track. He does some sprints and moto’s on the bike, and then heads to the gym to do cardio. Though Nelko has been back on the bike for two months, he didn't quite start feeling like himself again until a month ago.
“I feel like I did before the accident now,” Nelko said. “So for the last month I’ve been really working hard. But up until that point I was still feeling kind of weak and I wasn’t really sure if I was going to race, but then I started feeling a lot better.”
On Saturday, a long five months of waiting will come to an end. The races at High Point National represent the fourth stop of the series. After that, there are eight more stops, concluding at Ironman National in Crawfordsville, Ind. on Aug. 25. Nelko’s goal for Saturday, and the succeeding races, is modest.
“Really, I just want to be in all the races and come out healthy every weekend. No more injuries, or anything like that. I just want to keep progressing every single weekend,” Nelko said. “As long as I’m mentally focused and ready, I think everything will be fine.”