The ‘amazing’ feeling of being back on a bike
Accidents in BMX racing can lead to devastating injuries. Fellow Australian, London 2012 silver medallist Sam Willoughby, was left tetraplegic after a life-threatening crash, while Sakakibara’s sister Saya suffered a string of serious concussions that affected her own career.
“I knew that BMX was over, and I was starstruck because it was the only thing I’ve done all of my life,” Sakakibara said of the aftermath of his accident. “And now that was gone, I didn’t know what I was going to do. I didn’t know if I was going to (look) for another sport or BMX, so that was really scary.”
Despite his fear of falling again, Sakakibara found the courage to get back on a bike.
“I first started off with BMX because I needed to know if I could still ride, so I started at the Sydney Olympic Park,” he recalled. “It was crazy because I had to start with a three-wheeler at the start of 2021, and then I progressed to a two-wheeler mountain bike, and then on to my race bike. Eventually, after a while, I was able to do a full lap around a BMX track, which was absolutely amazing.”
Just over a year after the crash, Sakakibara felt like an athlete again.
His progress inspired him to embrace a new challenge: Para track cycling. In between, there was also a brief stint in Para rowing.
“The feeling about being back on the bike is absolutely extraordinary because I didn’t think that I could ride again,” Sakakibara said. “And I did ride again, but I never thought that I would be able to ride competitively around a velodrome track. But it was amazing because I did it!”
Now fully committed to his new Paralympic discipline, Sakakibara trains daily in his home gym where the walls are covered in motivational quotes.
“My favourite mantra is ‘one day at a time, one moment at a time’,” he said. “It applies to everything – whether it’s BMX, rowing, the gym, or something to do in the house, it doesn’t matter. It’s always what you’re doing. I’d be one step better, and I think that’s all I can do.”