Motoworks/Can-Am pro racer Josh
Frederick suffered a serious back injury in a crash during the Pro ATV race March
24 at round three of the World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS) in Lake Havasu City, AZ.
Medical crews were on the scene
quickly and after complaining of the loss of feeling to his legs, Frederick was transported
to a local hospital for evaluation. Further examination revealed that Frederick's T-5 vertebra was
fractured during the violent crash. Frederick
was then flown to a level-one trauma center in Las Vegas for additional examinations and surgery.
Frederick underwent surgery Sunday evening to remove the piece of
bone lodged in his spine and his back was fused. The surgery was successful and
Frederick is
now resting comfortably at the hospital. He did not regain feeling to his legs
after the surgery and due to the amount of swelling it is not currently possible
to determine a time frame for potential recovery or paralysis. Josh has been
fitted with a back brace and will start therapy this week.
"Josh is such a wonderful person,
a devoted father and husband and a dedicated professional racer," said Can-Am
race manager Jimmie O'Dell. "While it deeply saddens me to learn of the
severity of this injury, I also know that Josh is an extremely hard worker, a
fighter and a true champion. I pray that he will persevere and overcome this
challenge. Josh and his family are in the thoughts and prayers of everyone at
BRP and the entire Can-Am racing family."
Frederick
will not be racing for the remainder of the 2013 season and the Motoworks/Can-Am
team will shift its focus to ensuring Frederick
has everything he needs during this recovery. Frederick and his wife Tiffany have
thanked everyone for the outpouring of support from his fans, fellow WORCS
racers and the entire international racing community.
"[We're]
trying to stay positive. Prayers are definitely appreciated," said Frederick's wife Tiffany.
"He's way bummed and worried about everyone but himself. This is going to be a
long, wait-and-see outcome. We have faith in the power of healing but also know
it is always God's will."
Josh Frederick was currently competing
in both the Pro ATV class and SxS Pro Production classes in WORCS, along with
the SCORE series, where he was defending his #1a ATV title for the Motoworks/Can-Am
race team. He recently earned the first-ever WORCS podium finish for the new
Can-Am Maverick 1000R X rs side-by-side at round two and was the racer who gave
the DS 450 its historic first win in 2007.
