Coma Survivor Attempts to Beat His Record from Catalina to Newport Beach

aling,” said Thomas in an email to the Log. “[I] got to shore [in] 6 to 7 hours but I was down at the HB river mouth, so I had several miles to backtrack, so that is why and through God’s grace, it can be done.”

By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS

N EWPORT BEACH — On Sunday, Aug. 20, Matthew Thomas – a coma survivor who was once given a five percent chance of living – will once again pedal his hydro bike from Avalon, Catalina, to the Orange County Sheriffs Harbor Patrol Station in Newport Beach.

Thomas is attempting to beat his previous record from August 2022, which was an 11-hour ride where he faced persistent high winds and rough waters. This time around, Thomas is aiming for a record of seven hours and a new world record for the estimated 30 miles race.

“I was thinking 11 hours is kind of a big window for others to beat, that don’t have a disability because I wasn’t really listening but I was pedaling and ped-

Thomas will depart Avalon between 7-9 a.m. and plans to arrive at the Orange County Sheriffs Harbor Patrol Station at 1901 Bayside Dr. in Newport between 2-5 p.m. Radio l egacy Jim “Poorman” Trenton of KOCI’s 101.5 FM’s “The Poorman’s Morning Rush” will be on hand to host the festivities and after-party. Tune into KOCI via radio or the internet on weekdays from 7-11 a.m. for regular updates.

Thomas began training in mid-April to prepare for his goal of shaving four hours off his record time. Thomas started training daily for an hour and a half a nd then continued to add time. He is now up to four hours of training an afternoon in the ocean to go up against the water’s current.

“[I] just keep [my] legs going so it can be done,” said Thomas. “Plus, I have been riding now for 30 years. Putting Ability in Disability, PAID.”

I n 1991, Thomas was involved in a DUI crash that almost killed him. He was a passenger in a car that drove off a 30-foot bridge on Lake Sherwood, CA. Thrown from the vehicle, Thomas’s head hit the rocks, and he went into a coma. The prognosis was grim; he was given a five percent chance of survival and would remain in a coma thereafter. After three months in a coma, Thomas began a lifelong road to recovery.

“As I slowly came to, I realized I was paralyzed on my left side – couldn’t read, write, talk, shower, shave, eat or dress,” recalls Thomas.

Today, Matthew is an in-demand public speaker for Mothers Against Drunk D riving (MADD) and other organizations, a consultant, photographer, bodyboarder, and avid golfer. Thomas lives a s proof that there are no limits to the human brain. According to Dr. Philip O’Carroll, his longtime neurologist, “He healed himself in a way that far exceeds any conventional medical wisdom.”

However, it’s not the race against the clock that he’s worried about. Thomas’s most significant obstacles are getting the chase boat, his bike, and himself over to the Island.

“It’s a cognitive thing: attention/divided multitasking, a nother extra thought process to open up new neurons that were injured and to show it can be done, even after 32 years of tripp’in aint EAZY,” said Thomas.

There is a celebration for Thomas on the dock at 1901 Bayside Drive at the Corona del Mar Harbor Patrol from 3-6 p.m., with more celebration to follow at the Bahia C orinthian Yacht Club after that.

Matthew Thomas can be found on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. You can also watch Matthew’s “Straight Out of a Coma” Documentary streaming on Tubi TV.

The 23rd Annual Beneteau Rendezvous at Two Harbors was a Groovy Hit!

This article was provided by Barrett Can eld, president and owner of South Coast Yachts San Diego and Newport Beach.

South Coast Yachts, and the Beneteau Dealer for San Diego and Orange Counties, hosted 60 boats and 250 guests at Two Harbors the weekend of Aug. 5 for the 23rd year in a row. The weekend started as boats and guests arrived from ports as far north as Santa Barbara down to San Diego on Thursday to relax on their moorings and begin to enjoy the magic of The Isthmus. The Beneteau event attracted Oceanis and First Sailboats, Swift Trawler, Gran Turismo Powerboats, and Antares Outboard powered boats, all built by Group Beneteau and delivered by South Coast Yachts.

On Friday, all guests were invited to the Dinghy Cocktail Raft Up at the host boat, a brand new 2023 Beneteau Oceanis 51.1, where the dinghy crews enjoyed potluck cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and lots of laughter, creating new friendships.

Saturday was a full day, starting with a hot catered breakfast at the Rendezvous Complex on land and then a few hours of interactive seminars with industry professionals.

The Event was sponsored by Yanmar, North Sails, Safe Harbor Marinas and Boatyards, Yachtbedding. com, Novamar, and The Dinghy Doctor, who all had representatives there to add to the seminars and answer boating questions.

After lunch, many sailboats left their moorings for the annual “Ship Rock Regatta,” where the boats started at 1:30 p.m. near Bird Rock and sailed out around Ship Rock and then to a mark o the west end to return to a nish at the green buoy marking the west end of the

Bird Rock reef.

Winds gusted to 20 knots, creating exciting sailing and coverage from professional drone photos and video provided by Eddie Frank. The Race Committee and photo boat were provided by Mike and Merrilee Neal on their new Beneteau GT 50 “Vivere II” from San Diego Yacht Club. Greg Price (SDYC) and his crew aboard the Beneteau First 44.7 “Aelos” took line honors at the nish.

All guests returned to the heavily decorated Rendezvous complex on land for the “Groovy 70’s” theme party, where they were served tasty dishes from the Catalina Island Company catering, received exciting ra e prizes and regatta awards, and danced into the evening with old friends and new.

South Coast Yachts would like to thank all of the sponsors, guests, and customers for joining us, with a special thank you to the crew at SCICO Harbor Master and Catering o ces for providing such memorable experiences for us in one of the most beautiful places in the world, Two Harbors!