Brittany Morrow, from Kentucky, also known as the Roadrash Queen, survived a crash and has a message for all of us. Her story was so well told that it is being published here in her voice. Below the article are links to her current projects. Check them out.
Its hard to look in the mirror and think that my scars are over five years old. I remember when I couldnt imagine looking and feeling this way for the rest of my life. I no longer feel as if at any moment I might wake up from this terrible dream and be comfortable in my own skin once again. When I look in the mirror, I am reminded of my mistakes. When I touch the thick skin on my hands, I am reminded of how lucky I am to be alive. These scars have given my life purpose, and they do not come without a great responsibility. Earning them was the hard part, owning them has become my lifes work.
It was a beautiful Sunday morning and the air was unseasonably warm for September in New Mexico. I was excited to be going on a ride through the Jemez Mountains on the back of my friend Shauns sport bike. Before we headed out that morning, I had shed my favorite cowboy hat in exchange for an ugly red helmet. I thought nothing of the fact that I had no other protection against the asphalt besides that hunk of foam and fiberglass. I figured that we couldnt get into a wreck; it simply wouldnt happen to me. I was nearly dead wrong.
As most of us have been told, motorcycle helmets are made to withstand an otherwise deadly impact to the head. When helmets are designed, their main duty is to disperse the force from a single blow and then become otherwise obsolete. They are put through rigorous testing to ensure they perform this task with certainty. Helmets are rated according to their protective abilities and are manufactured by thousands of companies all over the world. They range in price from $35 to over $1000, and a popular saying suggests the price of your helmet is proportional to the value of your head. They are available at every dealership in the country, at specialty shops, and online. Chances are, if you ride a motorcycle, you own a helmet. However, not all riders choose to wear their helmet on every ride. They choose to disregard the fact that helmets would have saved the lives of over seven hundred motorcyclists (who died from head injuries) in America each year.
Shaun and I were going about 120mph when my helmet was put to the ultimate test. I hit the ground, and it was as if every breath I had ever taken rushed out of me in an instant. I could feel every inch of my body hitting the road; tumbling, sliding and grinding into the unforgiving surface. In my helmet, I fought to breathe as I gave into the force of the asphalt ripping at my flesh. In a matter of seconds, I had come to the conclusion that I was going to die. My eyes were closed as I finished tumbling down the highway. Later, the police would tell me I had slid over 522 feet. I laid there in the road alone for what seemed like an eternity. Every nerve ending in my body was on fire; tingling, scorching, stabbing and burning. I had not gone into shock, and the adrenaline had worn off almost instantly. Not being able to move was the worst of it. I wanted to pull my arm out from underneath me. I wanted to get off that hot road. I wanted the sun to stop shining so brightly on my bloody back. I wanted everything to just go away. But it didnt go away. I wanted to die, but the people who came to my rescue wouldnt let me give up. I had skinned myself alive and was still breathing by the grace of God, and that ugly red helmet.
My road rash was so severe that my skin was not going to grow back on its own. I had lost too much surface area for the doctors to simply suture me together and send me home. After the blood loss had been controlled, the skin loss needed to be addressed. I was to receive full thickness skin grafts on over 50% of my body. In order to help my open wounds heal, the doctors had to cut off a thick layer of healthy skin from my legs and place it over my burns, stapling the new skin in place. This was the only way to fix me. It took the doctors two months, three blood transfusions, 31 dressing changes, and nine surgeries to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.
When I was a little girl, my parents did a wonderful job of telling me that beauty comes from the inside. They were always reminding me of how smart I was and encouraging me that I could be anything I wanted to be. My peers did an even better job of convincing me otherwise. Throughout my childhood and adolescent years, I was told everyday that being overweight was the equivalent of being ugly, and being ugly was a social crime. I was an outcast when it came to my outward appearance, and although I never allowed myself to be defined by the views of others, I was greatly emotionally affected by their insults. My view of myself was that I would never be good enough because of the way I looked. I was capable and willing to make a difference in the world, but my personal growth was stunted because I was never accepted as a full package.
Near the end of my hospital stay I realized that I was forever changed in many ways. I was devastated about my scarred skin, but also thankful to be alive every day. I knew that what I had gone through proved I had the strength to survive anything else thrown at me in the future. As long as I could walk, talk, and breathe, I was always happy to be on this earth and would never take the blessing of good health for granted again. I knew that my outward appearance was extremely altered, but not for the better. "The key to budget travel is to approach in advance. When it happens to family trips, globetrotting, well-deserved vacations and/or going to see new destinations we have never been before, the reality of cost and budgeting is always in the back of our thoughts. Arranging and expending our travel budget properly is a priority for most families. Lowering spending and expenses, while still experiencing your vacation to its fullest, is the key to guaranteed achievements and fiscal obligation. Your pocketbook and family will thank you! The reasoning behind economizing money while travelling is simple: Even if your personal funds is really tight, you can still take a break and enjoy life! Simply put, life is just too short to never step out of the door or departing the homestead! Also thinking about that while traveling, no matter whether on a budget or not, even the smallest of things can all add op to a huge vacation or travel costs!..". It took me a long to time to accept my new skin and relinquish the hopes that I might one day be considered beautiful to the rest of the world. I thought looking the way I did would further alienate me, but instead, it opened a door; riders began asking me about my scars and I had the opportunity to share my story with many people.
Eight months after the day I skinned myself alive, I bought myself a new sport bike. To go with it, I purchased a brand new, full head-to-toe coverage, set of gear. I learned some important things about myself in the months following my return to the sport that almost cost me my life. I learned how strong I really am, and that my parents werent lying to me when they said I could do anything I wanted. I learned that I never wanted to feel the way I did in the hospital again. I learned that my appearance was now a tool to encourage riders to choose to wear full gear. I learned that motorcycle safety was an attitude and a choice that I had to make every time I went riding. However, the most important thing I learned was that these lessons were not meant for me alone. I was meant to share what I had learned with the world.
I wrote a full account of the accident and my experiences as a cautionary tale for riders. It was published online and embraced throughout the community, and began popping up on forums and websites in over 20 countries. I was invited to attend safety conferences and tell my story as a way to show riders what can happen and share information on how to help prevent it, and I brought that ugly red helmet as a tangible testimony. I was encouraged to do research on protective technologies and pursue a path of motorcycle safety education. I received a NAMS (National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety) grant to start a national non-profit web campaign for protective apparel awareness and education that became a household name for many riders. Three years after leaving the hospital, I became a certified RiderCoach for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation to teach new and experienced riders alike the importance of attitude, skill, protective gear, lifelong learning and awareness. I became the prodigal child of motorcycle safety education and protective apparel awareness.
Leslie Haynsworth wrote, You paste a sticker on your car meaning for that sticker to make a point to the world about an issue or an organization or a belief or a practice or a philosophy. Youre not speaking through your bumper sticker on behalf of yourself qua yourself but rather on behalf of a cause or an idea, or maybe a particular community. You mean for your statement to radiate outward, to call attention to the issues or concerns or accomplishments the bumper sticker addresses. I did not choose the scars that now adorn my body, but they do represent a matter of dire importance to the motorcycle community. So, like a conscious bumper sticker placement, I will use my scars as a way to get a message to the people who I believe need it desperately. I will not hide my scars, nor be ashamed of them. I will wear them proudly in the hopes that they stir up as much attention as controversial bumper stickers can. My scars do not define me, but they do allow me to take a public stance on an issue I care for deeply.
I hope to achieve a lifetime of following the path of motorcycle safety education. It is a constant process that continues to mold me into who I want to be. I now have the desire to work for an international gear manufacturer and on the highest level at the MSF. My entire life is dedicated to helping others never have to experience what I did five years ago. I know receiving my horrific scars actually makes me best suited for my role as a passionate motorcycle safety educator. I am now thankful for the way I look because it empowers me much more than blending into the crowd. I never would have thought that looking different could earn me credibility, respect and opportunity. My scars radiate a message of tragedy, survival, and triumph that cannot be ignored.
I keep that ugly red helmet on a shelf in my garage where I can see it every time I get ready to go for a ride. Once upon a time, it was available to anyone who was interested in purchasing an ugly red helmet, but when put to the test, it did exactly what it was made to do: save my life. Now it is beaten and broken, but it serves a greater purpose, and that is to share a message with everyone who sees it. I suppose I have become like my helmet, and although battered and scarred, it is hard to ignore my outward appearance and the message that comes along with it. I carry around a story of caution and wisdom and share it with everyone I meet, and will continue to share it for the rest of my life. I have been perfectly molded and adorned to serve a purpose, and when put to the test, I will do exactly what I am made to do: save someones life.
Links to Brittanys websites:
Rock the Gear Brittanys non-profit organization is used to provide information on personal protective riding apparel and where the choice to ROCK THE GEAR is supported and rewarded.
Briter2Morrow Using education, training, testimony, and motorcycling, Brittany launched this site to share her experiences as a tool to teach others
The Queen Bee Project Brittany and her friend Brittny (also a motorcyclist) are collaborating on a book about women who rule the street, track, and dirt. They are seeking stories from women motorcyclists in a variety of categories. Check them out on Facebook!
As the fastest growing segment of the motorcycling public, women are more inclined than ever before to move from the passenger pillion to the front of the seat and to grab those handlebars. In this series of articles called She Rides Her Own we will profile a woman motorcyclist, what makes her unique, and how she got started riding on two wheels. If you would like to share a story with our readers on Examiner.com, email to: Patty.Davis.USA@gmail.com
Other She Rides Her Own articles:
- Meet Flo: motorcyclist, adventurer, crusader
- Meet Lisa: a motorcyclist who knows perseverance
- Meet Darlene: a motorcyclist proving its never too late
- Meet Ralyn: leaping head on into motorcycling
- Meet Cat: she really does have nine lives
- Meet Linda: showing us that love endures
- Meet Robin: her inner strength changed her life
- Meet LeftLane: living a life that matters
- Meet Abby: she rode back from Hell
- Meet Pinky: she is passionate about motorcycles
- Meet Laura: enthusiast, racer, and mentor
- Meet Jackie: trading up and enjoying the ride
- Meet Lori: living a meaningful life
- Meet Leilani: finding a motorcycle that is just right
- Meet Karen: finding blessings in unusual places
- Meet Liz: Making my way to the motorcycle
- Meet Sharon: she overcame addiction to find passion and purpose
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