Doug Henry My Hero

The reason that Doug Henry is my hero, is because of his attitude, he has a never give up attiude. His story can inspire anyone, and show everyone you can do what you want to do if you set your mind to it, no matter what anyone says. He has always been one of my favorite motocross racers to watch, but his story has made him my favorite rider and my hero. Dogu Henry is married and has one daughter and one son. Began riding motorcycles at age three. Also races snowmobiles.Hobbies include skiing, surfing, snow boarding and mountain biking
It's hard to believe that a quiet, laid-back welder from New England would some day become one of the sport's greatest riders. Doug Henry won his share of races, garnering four major titles before officially retiring after the 1999 season. But a 125 eastern region supercross title ('93), consecutive 125 outdoor titles ('93,'94), and a 250 AMA National MX Championship ('98) pale in comparison to what Henry accomplished off of the track.
Doug Henry's engaging smile and all-around-nice-guy image dissipated with the drop of the gate. A fierce competitor, Doug took chances on the racetrack that sometimes left him in serious trouble. Beginning with his 125 title runs, he had to deal with a mysterious intestinal ailment that left him sick and lacking energy. But through the heat of summer, Doug battled his demons, and with a few well-timed and much-needed between-moto IV's (remember the controversy that caused?), he was able to go on to win. But Doug's problems were not over yet. Not even close.
Doug came into the fourth round of the 1995 summer nationals in Budds Creek, Maryland, with supreme confidence. Just one race prior, at the fabled High Point track in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, Doug held off his lightning-fast teammate Jeremy McGrath and all others to take his first 250 national win. During the first moto at Budds Creek, however, Doug's luck would take a horrible turn for the worse. In what many consider the most horrific crash in motocross history, Doug came to a section of racetrack that had a very steep drop-off. All of the riders, including Doug, were scrubbing speed at the top and dropping softly down the hill before pinning the throttle into the upcoming right-hander some distance away. Throughout the moto, however, Doug was experiencing arm-pump, and instead of backing down and letting McGrath (who had a bird's eye view of the crash) by, he fought to keep the Honda superstar behind him, and it would cost him dearly. Instead of scrubbing speed at the top of the hill, Doug inadvertently pinned the throttle and leaped to the flat ground far past the landing point on the downhill. In Knievel-esque fashion, Doug landed with the bike, trying valiantly to save it, but the impact was too much. The result was a broken back, and for the rest of 1995 and part of 1996, Doug Henry would no longer be a professional motocross rider.
Amazingly, after innovative surgery in which a titanium basket was placed in Doug's spinal column, and rehab mere mortals could only imagine, Doug was back on a motorcycle for the 1996 Pontiac supercross, this time for Team Yamaha. Though it took some time for him to readjust to the timing and speed of professional racing, he soon stormed back to the front of the pack, leading the points chase in 1997 for the first half of the season, before again suffering a setback - this time in the form of a broken hand.
But again, Doug did not quit. He came back later in the season to develop the prototype four-stroke Yamaha YZ400F, and after giving the bike its first supercross win at the final round in Las Vegas, he began an assault on the outdoor nationals aboard the new machine. But bad luck again plagued the talented and determined rider. At Budds Creek, the sight of his previous terrible crash, the track would once again try in vain to end Doug's career. In a high-speed get-off, Doug broke both of his wrists. The sight of him walking over to the fence line, his arms hanging to his sides, where a spectator could remove his goggles, was unforgettable. Once again, Henry's career was sabotaged by injury, and once again, he would not let that stand in his way.
By the time 1998 rolled around, Doug had decided to give this sport one final kick in the pants. After a few good rides in the supercross season, but more importantly, getting through in one piece, Doug began his final full series on the national circuit. After some stellar finishes and good consistency, Doug came into the final round at Steel City Raceway the frontrunner, and in spite of the injury gods that plagued his career, left a AMA National Champion - this time on a four-stroke! Doug Henry retired that day from full-time competition but still races occasionally, and places well. But the fact that he completed his career on his terms, despite the injuries and setbacks, and went out a winner, makes Doug Henry an inspiration to everyone - not just motocross racers. So the next time you see Doug Henry at a race, go over and shake his hand. You're meeting a legend. He proved to anyone that you can do whatever you want to do, no matter what anyone says, just as long as you set your mind to it.