Enquiry: How is Paul Basagoitia doing today?

Almost a year ago, Paul Basagoitia had a serious fall at the Rampage and injured his thoracic spine so badly that he was threatened with paraplegia and a life in a wheelchair (BIKE reported). Now he was back on his mountain bike for the first time since then.

In the picture posted on his Instagram account, Basagoita is literally as happy as a little kid about his first bike ride after the momentous Rampage crash: "My dad always joked that I could ride a bike before I could even walk properly. Well, in this case it's actually true! I'm over the moon to finally be able to ride my bike again after my injury."

He trains day after day, wanting to regain control of his body step by step. In order to be able to pay for the expensive treatments and rehab programmes, a special fundraising campaign was set up under the hashtag #irideforpaul one Fundraising campaign for Paul Basagoitia set up.

Paul is still a long way from being able to walk and bike properly again. He has completed another stage on his rehabilitation journey. "I still have a long way to go, but I won't give up on any of the goals I've set myself for the future." We are delighted with the good news and enquired with Paul Basagoita about his current condition.

BIKE: How are you doing today, almost a year after your crash and injury?
Paul Basagoitia: Every one of my days is different. Some days are better than others. I just try to see the positives and keep going full throttle in physiotherapy.

What is the current status of your rehab? Will you be fully recovered soon?
Every spinal cord injury is different. You can't predict how much of the injury you will be able to recover from. You can only put 100 per cent into rehab and see what happens.

Rehab is probably the omnipresent topic in your everyday life.
Not a day goes by without me working on my recovery from paralysis.

Are you happy with the progress you've made in the forest? And what plans do you have for the future?
I'm really over the moon to see how far I've already come. To be honest, at first I didn't think I would ever be able to pedal again. But I still want to be active on my bike in the future. Just without all the crazy things I did before my accident.