Usually right now of the yr, CS Santosh could be driving by way of dunes and wheeling previous unfastened rocks, mainly pushing his motorbike past its designed capabilities on the celebrated Dakar Rally.
All that modified two years in the past when the 39-year-old suffered life-threatening accidents in a high-speed crash at Dakar 2021 in Saudi Arabia. It left him with mind trauma, imaginative and prescient points, lack of motor abilities, partial reminiscence loss and melancholy.
After waking up from a medically induced coma, the rallyist withdrew from public life and began a protracted rehabilitation course of. From making an attempt to hitch the dots of his reminiscence to regaining his gross motor abilities by coordinating his arms and legs to work collectively, Santosh has come a great distance in his restoration, which continues to be persevering with. Importantly, he is kind of again to his regular self.
“Not simply as an athlete however I’ve change into regular as a human being. My household is saying, ‘Santosh we keep in mind the way you have been and also you’re just about like that man now.’ They’re actually completely satisfied about it,” says the primary Indian to compete and full the Dakar Rally.
Again to his finest, bodily and mentally, since his crash, Santosh is now aiming to hit the grime that has given him recognition. “I can be again at Dakar 2024 for certain,” says Santosh, who completed a career-best thirty fourth within the 2018 version.
“As dad and mom we’re most serious about his welfare and if his welfare lies in him in a position to journey once more then we welcome that,” says C Shivshankar, Santosh’s father. “He’s doing good and has been driving his bike. He’s a really critical man who has actually struggled to get to the place he’s. He has actually labored for it and his single-minded drive is the explanation the place he’s in the present day. He’s heading in the right direction.”
Dakar is the world’s longest, hardest and most harmful rally that requires a rider to face crouched on the bike for the higher a part of the quick stretches for a greater view whereas negotiating unfastened rocks, slush, deep sand and holes within the dune, at round 100kph. One lapse might be deadly, which has been the case a number of occasions previously.
Santosh’s choice isn’t primarily based on zest or overestimation of his skills however on pure information, numbers. For his restoration, Santosh had gone to Isokinetic sports activities medication and orthopaedic rehabilitation centre in Bologna, Italy earlier than heading to Swiss Concussion Middle in Zurich and the Purple Bull Athlete Efficiency Centre (APC) in Salzburg in 2021. The rallyist revisited Switzerland and Austria in November-December 2022 to additional assess the state of affairs and evaluate the readings of mid-2021 to now.
“Switzerland has probably the most superior hospital for psychological trauma. They wished to test, making me do a number of issues. That they had my readings from final yr and in contrast it to the current. The readings have improved. It is rather progressive they usually have been completely satisfied. The Swiss consultants coordinate with the blokes in APC. I base my choice of going or not going to the Dakar on these stories,” stated Santosh, who first competed within the Dakar in 2015.
“Final yr once they noticed me, I did not possess power like I did again within the day. However this time even they have been stunned that my power has improved. It can be crucial for me that family and friends have the peace of thoughts that ‘he is not less than cognitively in a state that he might be again or aspire to race a motorbike once more’. I owe it to all people who stood by me. Folks on the APC are additionally completely satisfied. We’re going to put collectively a plan to get the performance-fitness degree on a motorbike.”
Santosh feels three years of restoration and rehabilitation is sufficient time for him to return to the Dakar. “That point has handed. I’ve given it sufficient time. Dakar 2024 is sitting in step with what all people has stated to me.”
Santosh has already begun his journey of going again to the Dakar. The off-roading pioneer stop Hero MotoSports after a six-year affiliation in November, understanding he is unlikely to get a race seat within the close to future with the corporate. It’s learnt that he’s prone to be part of Royal Enfield this yr; they are going to be taking the Dakar plunge in 2024. He rode Royal Enfield bikes at its Rider Mania occasion in Goa in November.
Santosh has been coaching at Huge Rock Filth Park–an off-road facility he owns in Kolar– driving on motocross tracks. Although he suffers a minor crash from time to time, his driving abilities are enhancing by the day.
He’s at present in Saudi Arabia witnessing the continued Dakar. He can be assembly officers of the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), the organisers, who even have their issues relating to a profitable return by Santosh.
“A very powerful factor is to finish my journey as a result of it was interrupted within the method that I by no means imagined. I wish to full that journey,” concluded Santosh.