Alise Post: “I had a terrible, freak accident”

In what was sure to be one of the most contentious battles of the 2010 ABA Grands weekend, fate dealt a punishing blow to Alise Post late Monday afternoon. BMX NEWS brought early details of Alise’s season-ending injury just before lights out Monday night. Still, it was Alise’s idea to address her fans directly by writing the following “In Her Own Words” article on the accident.

We are grateful to hear that Alise was not more seriously hurt, and that prospects are overwhelmingly positive for a full recovery and return to the big hill in 2011.

“A terrible, freak accident.”
By Alise Post, November 22, 2010

After a great season, and a 40-point lead heading into the 2010 ABA Grand National, I had a terrible, freak accident today.

Sam, Wade (Bootes), and myself went over to the Chula Vista ABA track for a little 20-30 minute play session on our bikes, just to have a quick “touch up” and make sure we were feeling good for the race.

Toward the end of the session, I took a slow run at the first double on the second straight to try and get a pull-manual I had been working on. I wanted to make it so bad that I yanked up on my handlebars wayyyy too hard, and almost looped out. To try and save it, I unclipped my right foot and put it down thinking I was going slow enough to run out of it. Unfortunately, I planted my foot just the wrong way (due to many ankle sprains/rolls in both gymnastics and track and field, the ligaments in my ankles are already fairly overstretched and will roll easily, but usually without any consequences).

My weak ankles didn’t help me out in this situation, because when my ankle rolled outwards, the doctors say, my ligaments stretched a little too far and ended up tearing, leaving my fibula bone no support and allowing it to break. There is no official confirmation that any of the ligaments are torn, and I will be getting an MRI shortly to confirm this likely outcome.

X-Rays, however, have confirmed a clear fracture across my entire right Fibula (the smaller outside bone in your lower leg) just above the frequent “high ankle sprains” you hear about in professional hockey, football, etc. I am not in a full cast yet as the swelling is pretty out of hand, and it is likely I will need surgery next week at home in Minnesota if the MRI confirms torn ligaments.

Surgery could entail placement of screws and a plate to hold the Fibula and Tibia bones together (which will later be removed), some ligament repairs, and up to a 3-month, no-weight-bearing recovery, followed by few months of intense rehabilitation. However, this is worst case scenario, so I can only hope things turn out better than they look now, and my youth, health, fitness, support, OTC rehab, and mental toughness get me through a speedy recovery and back to BMX stronger than ever!

Needless to say I will not be racing the Grands this year. I may make an appearance, but I will need to be extremely careful. Doctors warned me that if my leg is bumped at this point, the bone will likely displace further and the injury could become worse. But hey, I gotta support my buddies!

They say that “you’re only one crash away from the end of your career” in BMX. So I guess for Thanksgiving, I will be thankful that I have an injury I can come back from and lots of support from my friends and family. Little did I know that on one of my last runs, 25 minutes into the session, and my last 5 minutes of training before I took off to Tulsa, I would take a wimpy little, slow-paced crash that would end my hopes of winning the ABA National #1 title. It’s crazy…a year’s worth of work and “BAM!,” gone in the blink of an eye.

But, there’s no reason to dwell on this incident. The reason I wrote this update is for everyone to know the full story, so we can all move past this accident and look forward to the bigger and better things that lie in my future.

“Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward.”
Denis Waitley, best-selling author and motivational speaker

Thanks for the support everyone, and happy holidays!
—Alise Post
Redline #11

Our thanks to Alise for telling her story here on News. We will be keeping you “Posted” on new developments as they unfold, and Alise says she will also be writing about her recovery on her GO211 blog in the coming weeks and months.

2009 ABA Grands Track Taking Shape

One of the most anticipated moments of any ABA Grands is that first time you walk through the pits, past the ABA Trailer, past the bleachers and see, for the first time— as if in a shimmering valley after a long trek through the desert—the track for the first time. This year, BMXNEWS heightens that anticipation by bringing you the actual layout sketch that ABA track builder Billy Allen and his team are using to create the 2009 edition.

Unlike any Grands track we’ve seen, the 2009 model boasts a fresh-in-every-sense-of-the-word config, with a loooonng first straight, and an exciting third straight that looks more like the runway configuration at nearby TUL (Tulsa International Airport) than any BMX track we’ve ever seen. No doubt there will be some serious air time on THESE runways, come next Friday when the first gate drops. This spy photo came in late Tuesday night with limited explanation…but we can surmise that the farthest left straightaways are pro section (whether decision-maker or Male/Female routes, we do not yet know). The “outer drive” then crosses the inner route twice on its approach to the last turn. Here, it seems like a decisionmaker is presented for the final bolt to the finish.

The layout sketch, obviously, shows no obstacles in place, but there is little doubt that Billy and his boys will be bringing the same innovation and freshness to that part of the equation as is evident in the “bones” of the design.

Stay close to BMXNEWS.COM for as-they-happen updates on the ABA Grands Track Progress…and, starting Tuesday, November 24, with our coverage of the 2009 ABA Grand National here on News, with photo coverage on our sister site, BMXNOW.COM…and, as always, the broad-spectrum discussion on VintageBMX.com.

Thanks to Shannon at ABA for smuggling the microfilm out.