A team-mate of Road Bike Party 2 star Martyn Ashton who broke his back when a stunt went wrong has admitted the memories of the accident still haunt him.
Blake Samson, a member of the Animal/WD-40 Action Sports stunt team is currently performing at the London Bike Show. He admitted that after Ashton’s accident at the Silverstone race circuit in September 2013, he couldn’t think of anything else for a month afterwards – and still had to perform at the London Freeze.
28 year-old Samson said he has learned to put aside thoughts of the incident so he can continue performing in the sport he loves. The London Bike Show is the team’s second performance since the accident.
Samson told BikeRadar: “I was at the show. I know he’s a tough guy who can take some hits, but I was thinking he would get up and walk away didn’t happen. We didn’t know what was going on and were nearing the end of the show [they carried on] and then found out at the end of the show.
“It’ll affect anyone, but these accidents happen to the best of us and it comes with the job.
“Now I look differently at my sport. It got to me. Doing certain tricks I thought ‘this could happen’, but you’ve got to put that aside because if you start thinking deeply abut it, you start making mistakes or you start thinking ‘right I’m going to stop’. And I don’t want to stop.”
Inspired
Despite the life changing accident, Ashton completed the hugely successful Road Bike Party 2 video from his hospital bed, with Danny MacAskill and Chris Akrigg covering some scenes. Ashton has since started handcycling.
Samson said: “He’s inspired me. I was chuffed when I saw him [on the handcycle] I was like good old Mart – he’ll always be doing something he’s a tough dude."
Samson, born in Zimbabwe and didn’t take up dirt jumping until he was 17 said he has no intention of giving up and says he still gets a kick from performing daredevil stunts.
The Animal/WD-40 Action Sports Tour will be performing three times a day at the London Bike Show at the ExCeL between 13-16 February.