A MESSAGE FROM KELVIN HAMILTON

Synchronised Speedway ballet as Hamilton (rear) rides the wall.

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A Message From Kelvin Simply saying thank you just doesn't seem enough, I don't believe it ever will. It's almost impossible to put into words all the feelings and emotions that my wife Monic and I have felt over the past few months. The pain, the helplessness, the frustration, the relief and the joy as we endured a very trying time in our lives following my accident at the Australian Speedcar Championship in Perth, it's been hard. For the extraordinary measures that so many people went to, ensuring I received the very best of care and in helping me get some sense of normality back in my life, I can never thank these people enough. I've been involved in Speedway since I was thirteen years old but I doubt I ever could have considered that Saturday night February 23 would end the way it did, it was meant to be somewhat of a celebration as I had decided to scale back my racing and concentrate on other things in life for a while. Instead, the accident left me with numerous injuries and a long and hard recovery which thankfully is getting better and shorter every day. The flip side is that it re-enforced what I guess I already knew, that the people you meet in racing are the best people you could ever hope to know. The drivers, the families, the crews, the fans, the promoters, the officials and the volunteers, they really are the best and we're thankful and proud to be a part of the racing community. People like the safety and medical team at the Perth Motorplex who ensured I received professional care right from the beginning, the medical staff at Fremantle, Royal Perth and Shenton Park Hospitals who were absolutely fantastic and our doctors and physicians here in Qld who continue to monitor and assist in my recovery. The Perth Motorplex is extremely lucky to have Terry Dorrington as their Track Chaplain. Terry and his wife Irene were incredibly supportive and encouraging throughout my five weeks in Perth after the accident, and continue to be so. Terry gave me strength through the most difficult times and we will be forever thankful to him for this. To Gavin and Con Migro, the Perth Motorplex, the Western Australian Speedcar Drivers Association (WASDA), the Qld Speedcar Racing Association (QSRA), Speedcars Australia and the National Association of Speedway Racing (NASR) and their staff, elected officers and volunteers, thank you so much for your support and well wishes during this time. Shane and Michelle Kirwin, a family from Perth helped us with accommodation, transport, food and so much more, it would be impossible to thank them enough. Mark Derosa, himself a former WA Midget racer, provided Monic with a car to drive to and from the hospital during the five weeks we were in Perth, even though he was a complete stranger to us prior to the accident. Extraordinary acts of generosity for which we will always be very appreciative of. We have received so much support from so many people. Cards, letters, emails, gift baskets, phone calls, donations, well wishes and prayers, it really is overwhelming. Dene McAllan was one of the first to visit me in hospital, although I don't remember much of the conversation because of all the wonderful drugs they had me on! Gavin and Con Migro, Darren Sutton, Todd and Robyn Wanless, Troy Jenkins, Tom and Jill Watson are just some of the people from racing that also popped in to say hi while I was in hospital. My employer and the owner of the Hy-Performance Racing team Peter Robinson has been fantastic and very understanding throughout this ordeal, thanks mate. Everyone at the Hy-Performance Fluid Power workshop in Brisbane has lifted a gear or two in my absence, and their efforts have not gone un-noticed. I've met some wonderful people and learnt some valuable lessons about life over the past few months, none more so than the importance of family. Every member of my immediate family traveled across from Qld to visit with me, while my mother and father-in-law with the help of our family and close friends looked after our twin 20 month old boys back home in Brisbane. Monic stayed by my side in Perth, her love and support and care for me just unbelievable, and it has drawn us even closer. I feel very lucky, I will have the chance to play with my boys as they grow older and kick the ball with them. My recuperation will continue here at home, amongst family and friends. I'm slowly starting to do more and more things every day and hope to resume working on a regular basis soon. I've even been down to have a look at the racecar, but I'll leave the driving to someone else for now. It really is true, family and friends are the most important things in life, everything else is a bonus. Thank you again to everyone for your support and friendship. Kelvin Hamilton