This past weekend I discovered, while scrolling through social media, that motocross rider and member of the Nitro Circus team Bruce Cook landed his first back flip since severing his spine last winter. My brother and I went to the Nitro Circus live show in Hamilton, Ontario last January. We saw Cook attempting a double front flip, a stunt that, as far as I know, has never been successfully completed. Cook landed on his spine and the show came to a grinding halt. The announcers tried to calm the audience as a team of paramedics carried Cook out of the stadium, but it became obvious that Cook was seriously injured. Even though it became obvious at the show that Cook might never walk again, the 26-year-old still held his hand high in the air as the paramedics carried him away.
After that night, I started following Cook on Instagram. That is when I truly discovered what motivation and determination looks like. The motocross enthusiast continually posts photos of his progress since the incident, and every single photo shows Cook, a Kelowna, B.C. local grinning from cheek to cheek.
Since the incident, Cook has been confined to a wheelchair, but that hasn’t stopped him from getting back on his dirtbike and continuing on with his passion for motocross. This individual is an inspiration to me and so many others.
Many people can never understand what it means to be so passionate about something that you can’t let it go, even if that passion nearly kills you.
Last week I also spoke with hunter Wilf Lloyd who barely escaped with his life after being attacked by a grizzly bear near Fernie a month ago.
Nearing the end of the conversation, I asked Lloyd if he planned to continue hunting in the future. His response: “It’s something that’s in my blood. It’s a passion that I don’t think I’ll ever lose.”
It amazes me to see individuals with such strong passions. Lloyd will likely lose some of his mobility because of his injury. He no longer has a knee cap. He is, however, hopeful that surgeons will be able to give him a prosthetic knee. But even with a prosthetic knee, Lloyd’s injury will more than likely slow him down significantly.
It amazes me to see these passionate individuals hold on to their hobbies, whether it be conquering jumps or conquering the wild, Lloyd and Cook embody pure, undiluted spirit and determination.