How tough is tough?

Pete McCluskey.

Lifetime Supporter
Jorge Lorenzo rode into second place at the Le mans Moto GP at the weekend with two, yes two fractured ankles. He had to be lifted from his bike onto crutches.
Those of you who ride sports bikes know how much weight you put on the foot pegs through the corners and I cannot imagine the pain he was riding in. Jorge Lorenzo proving to be the real showstopper - Times Online

It got me thinking what other great Athletic endeavours you guys might know about where the athlete overcame broken bones or great pain to go on and compete?
There are a lot of examples of bike riders having broken collar bones plated after a crash in practise and riding the next day.

I remember in the Atlanta Olympics three day event, Equestrian Jillian Rolton fell at a jump breaking her collar bone and three ribs, yes a girl, she got back on, took several more jumps fell again, got back on and helped the Australian team to win gold. Pure guts.
ABC Online News - Sports: Equestrian
What stories of this sort of courage do you have?

P.S. Congratulations to The Doctor, 90 wins.
 
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Niki Lauda returned to racing very shortly after leaving medical care for his burns. I purposely did NOT say 'very shortly after recovery' because apparently he wasn't fully recovered - got back in the seat wrapped in bandages.

I worked at an SCCA race prep shop in the 90's and remember hearing stories of Dan Carmichael (who won the Formula Atlantic championship at 76!) getting into his atlantic with a cast on his leg. The crew huddled around his car so no one could see that he had a broken leg.

I can only imagine the stories of the men and women in battle...
 
From memory so the facts need checking...

Roger Burnett apparently used to have the nick name "Bloody Boots" due to regularly wearing through his boots, socks and feet.
Riding for Honda at Le Mans in the 24 hour he crashed broke both ankles and then pushed the bike back to the pits.:stunned:

Who was the guy in WRC who had his little finger cut off rather than wait for it to heal for the next event?
 
Alex Zanardi is the one that impresses me. Lost both legs in an oval single seater in Germany, a year on takes to the same track in a car fitted with hand controls and is virtually as quick as before, then joins the World Touring Car Championship and wins races. Also competes in the New York Marathon on a hand cycle thingie and comes about 14th after very little training. Hell of a guy.
My over-riding memory of him though was in a race at Laguan Seca??? before he lost his legs when he overtook on that donwhill corkscrew on the last lap of a champ car race using very little of the track and lots of run off!
 
Miguel Duhamel did the same thing on a bike at the daytona 200 with the only difference being that he won the race.These men are worthy of being our heroes.
I too remember zanardi at laguna WOW.
 
Phew...Doug´s pic is a tough act to follow, but Steve McQueen comes into my mind becoming 2nd at Sebring 1970 with Peter Revson, McQueen having had one foot in Plaster after an accident with one of his motorcycles:
 

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