At the beginning of 2018, Paul Basagoitia found himself less than three years out from a life-changing spinal cord injury he suffered in competition at Red Bull Rampage, once again standing in front of a bike. Despite the very dim initial odds of ever walking again, Paul had managed to get back on his feet through determination and rigorous physical therapy- now walking with the assistance of a cane. A flurry of excitement and terror filled his body at the prospect of riding again. For the majority of his life, when it came to bikes, he sought to be the best in his field. On this day he wondered. “Can I actually ride this thing?”
If unfamiliar with the details of Paul’s story, the HBO Documentary “Any One of Us” is an in-depth glimpse into Paul’s life immediately after his injury at Rampage, and the many harsh realities of spinal cord injuries. For Paul, the thought of ever riding a bike again seemed absurd in his post-injury world.
If you can hardly feel your feet, how can you ride a bike? How would the pedal stroke work? Will your feet stay on the pedals? What happens if you crash? It is worth it? The inner debate raged, with a clear answer seemingly evident: No, not safe, not possible, not worth it. It seemed Paul would have to carry on with life and recovery without his greatest passion, and the mountain bike community he had been so deeply connected to.
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