Speedway GP star Jack Holder is striving to get back on track by the end of the year after issuing an update on his injuries.
The Aussie star crashed out of the DEWALT FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Wroclaw on June 20 and sat out the BST FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla on July 11.
The Sheffield star was briefly confined to a wheelchair due to the extent of his injuries but was back on his feet using a single crutch when he paid a visit to Tigers’ Rowe Motor Oil Premiership clash at Ipswich on Thursday.
While there is no definite timeline for his racing return, Holder hopes he can make a comeback before the end of the year.
Asked the extent of his injuries by the British Speedway Network, he replied: “I broke my humorous pretty good, and I had to get an operation on that. I have also broken my foot, my right ankle and a couple of ribs. Ribs can be a bit of a pain in the bum, but they’re good.
“I also broke the sacrum bone in my pelvis. That’s probably the worst one right now. It’s very uncomfortable sitting down.
“I am sick of this already. The arm is pretty serious. I am just doing what I can to get back as quick as I can. Hopefully I can still ride this year.”
Holder admits he didn’t realise the full extent of the damage until he underwent a body scan. He said: “I definitely didn’t feel my foot until I was getting the whole-body scan, and they said, ‘That’s swollen. Is it hurting?’ That was busted.
“When I crashed, my arm was pointing the other way, and I thought something with my back was very uncomfortable. I was just trying to move my hands and legs as much as I could – just to make sure I had full feeling. The arm wasn’t a pretty sight.”
Holder admits his family has been a huge support during what has been a tough recovery. He said: “I was lying dead flat for a week in Poland all on my lonesome. They were some pretty dark times. There still are some dark times at the moment, but I have my mum and dad here helping out, which is amazing.
“My brother Chris also put his life on hold for a bit to help, and my partner Jessica and my little boy are trying to cheer me up as much as they can.”
Holder suffered his injuries as an innocent party in a first-bend pile-up with fellow Aussie star Jason Doyle and Poland’s Kacper Woryna.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow,” he said. “It wasn’t really my fault. I was just on the wrong side of it. We got tangled and poor old me, minding my own business, copped it.”