Craig Parsons

Participated in The Ride

A young Craig Young Craig on his motorbike Craig on his bike in Harvey during The Ride Craig during The Ride

About Craig's Accident

On the 1st August 1981 I was competing in my 2nd senior Motocross event at Southern Cross (The King of the Cross). I was a young 16-year-old who had competed in motocross since the age of eight, with many junior titles under my belt. It was the third race of the day and I had already been lucky enough to have won the first two events. The grid was lining and I was starting on the third row and due to the fact that I had a small 125cc Honda I it would be hard to pass the field if I was going to win the day in the C grade event. The race started well with me passing a few riders from the start and progressively I was passing the field; by the time that it was two laps to go, I was up to passing the leading rider. We were on a rough section of the track when I was making my move on the leader, he lost control and crashed into me, I was then thrown over the handle bars and landed at the bottom of the slag heap on the track (it was a very scary experience as I was totally paralysed from the head down). The riders behind started to run over me as the flag marshal had not started to wave his flag yet. Finally the flag was raised and the ambulance was sent over to pick me up and take me to the Southern Cross Hospital. While in there a doctor checked me and thought I had a pinched nerve (how wrong was he?!). I was then flown down by the Royal Flying Doctor Service to Perth then rushed to Royal Perth Hospital.

Level of Injury

After being assessed at Royal Perth Hospital I was then Ambulanced to Royal Perth Rehab Hospital in Shenton Park where my rehabilitation would commence . I had broken C5/6 vertebra which is in your neck . As soon as arriving in Shenton Park I had my head shaved and 2 screws drilled into my scull ,which had a bracket bolted onto it then a rope with weights on it. This was to take the pressure of my spine. I was to be in bed for 6 weeks where every 2-4 hours people would move my body.I was fully paralysed for a week then slowly got some arm movement came back but to this day I have no movement of my legs. I never got any finger movement back as well but after a couple years I had surgery to get a moveable claw (a type of finger movement ,which assisted in life) .To date that is all the movement that I got back.

Occupation before Accident

Before my accident I was in year 11 at Wesley College where I was in the Football and Tennis teams (but my main passion / sport was motocross)

Occupations after

After my accident I went to Kalamunda Senior high school (as Wesley was not wheelchair friendly) then embarked to get my Diploma of Architectual Drafting at Leederville college ,which I finally completed 4 years later. I then started my own Design company called “Barrier Free” where I specialised in designing accommodation for people with a disability , my main contract was with “Homes west”.

Occupation now

I know am a Director/ Partner of Parsons Management Group (PMG) which is a family business which focuses on Self Storage Facilities (development and Construction) and own and run the Fremantle Boat Park a state of the art boat stacking facility and the Port Bouvarde boat Marina. I have been with PMG for over 20 years.