BACK TO RACING

by Shaun Foutch

Back to Racing after 1,058 Days…(or 37 days short of 3 years)

For those that don’t know me, I stepped away from racing following the fourth race of the 2018-2019 season – SADRA Hero 4 HS at Bartow 2 on 11/04/18. I raced Silver Master B that day, lead the first lap then almost wound up in the lake on lap 2 which ended my efforts (see pic). Little did I know at that time, it would be almost 3 years before I would race again… I had been suffering with severe shoulder pain and weakness the season before and it never improved despite physical therapy. Finally, an MRI revealed a 60% torn rotator cuff, so off to surgery I went in December 2018.

As I was recovering, I went ahead and bought a new truck and toy hauler preparing for my return. All my precise plans came to a halt in April when my Mother was diagnosed with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. This immediately stopped all plans I had with respect to racing… I could not risk getting hurt or being remote in the event she needed me. My father has advanced dementia, so I became caregiver to both of them.

So, as these things tend to do, my Mother lost her battle on 02/20/21. She was the most incredibly strong, courageous and selfless person I’ve ever known. She would always go without if someone else needed something. She taught me several things and changed my perspective on life over these past couple of years…

Needless to say, 2021 has been tough for me. I do not have siblings, so the care of my Mother and Father fell to me. I did my best to care for my Father following my Mother’s death, but it was too much with trying to work and him not understanding all that was going on. Addressing her and his affairs on top of work and everything else had me to the point of losing my mind. I finally relented and admitted my Father to Memory Care Assisted Living. I felt guilty, but after seeing how well they cared for him, interacted with him and kept him engaged, it was the right decision.

So, it would seem things are getting somewhat settled – not just yet as my Father then has a stroke! We were not sure if he would survive it or would be able to have enough body control to return to assisted living. We got lucky that after another month, he improved to a level where he could return. What is so sad is that his already diminished cognitive abilities were further impacted by the stroke and partial paralysis on the right side.

Now things finally started to settle down. My mental and physical state were totally shot by now. I had ballooned to 190 pounds from 160 and I was a mess. Drinking too much beer, laying around depressed and doing nothing but deteriorating. I finally sought some help, and the key was remembering what my Mother wanted for me. I made the decision to pull myself out of my funk and live the life she wanted me to live.

So, this brings me to today, Sunday, 09/18/21… My first day back racing Silver Master B – doing it for me and to please my Mom. It was a last-minute decision to come out and race. I give Peter Rose credit for pushing me as only a good friend can. I had a lot of obstacles to overcome, and I almost didn’t follow through. I’m so glad now that I didn’t give up with each roadblock I encountered. I had to order and install new toy hauler tires, had to get a bike that sat almost 3 years with old gas running again (thanks to Jason Ennis and the CFPS team) and many other smaller concerns… I was humping to get it all done but it finally came together! So how did I do? Not very well! LOL My goal was to simply ride until I got to the checkered flag or my body gave out, whichever came first. I didn’t get the holeshot (too nervous), but I did run in third place for a bit before I dropped several anchors. I did finish two laps, no injuries and a great day. I can’t say how much I sincerely appreciated so many in the FTR family welcoming me back and offering true condolences and support. All weekend and even on the course people were saying, “welcome back Shaun”. This is truly a special group of people and, despite moments of dysfunction, should be appreciated and respected.

One of the people I had to track down this weekend was Brian McGinity (5B in Master B). This guy seems to race every weekend – no matter the event. I want to be like that, so I had to go get his secrets! LOL I’m making my bucket list in no particular order – race every FTR race (including enduros), race every GNCC, ride the Trans America Trail in honor of my Mother and as a fundraiser for Moffitt Lung Cancer Research and more one-off events I haven’t thought of yet! I don’t want to say, “I wish I had ridden/raced a particular event…” Live your life as if it’s too short. Do the things you want with the goal you’ll never say, “I wish I had…” Be nice to others and help when you can - you’ll feel so good about yourself even if others don’t appreciate your efforts. No one ever looks back and says, “I wish I had worked more…”

THANK YOU ROCKY MOUNTAIN ATV M/C FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

OVER $150,000 IN RACE GAS GIFT CARDS EACH YEAR!