21713

A second chance.

In Trento, Italy on 21 July 2013 Grant started the day racing to win, and ended the day fighting to live. 21713 became the first day of his second life.
Grateful to be alive and miraculously not paralysed he made a commitment to God to share his story with audiences and to ride annual “Im’possible Tours”, taking his second chance at life to the limit, and beyond.

During the 140 km La Leggendaria Charly Gaul race, descending the first mountain, he entered a wet corner at over 60 km/h and crashed straight into a rock embankment.

By the time the medical team arrived he had lost consciousness and his heart had stopped beating. Airlifted to the Santa Chiara Emergency Ospedale in Trento, he spent 8 days in ICU and 12 days in high care, before he was flown back to South Africa with medical assistance. He spent 4 months recovering at home, and underwent a total of 6 surgeries and 83 rehabilitation sessions.

His injuries included:
– Collapsed lungs and thorax
– Acute respiratory failure
– Ruptured arteries in neck and right arm
– Compound fracture of sternum
– Multiple fractures of shoulderblade
– Multiple fractures of clavicle
– 12 fractured ribs
– Compound fractures of lumber and cervical spine
– Lesions to spinal cord
– Compound fractures of right femur
– Internal bleeding of abdomen and spleen
– Extensive haematoma of abdomen, liver and thorax