When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
My name is John. My handle on almost everything is theplatinumog. How much time do you have? Because I have a pretty incredible story I would like to share with everyone. The story of how I "retired" at 26. However, it is not something I would recommend to anyone. WARNING: if you are squeamish with trauma type injuries, you need to leave now and not scroll down.
So there I was, 26 years old. I was a tennis professional. I played some challengers / future type ATP tournaments, but won most of my prize money playing USTA open stuff. Teaching was more lucrative for me. I would do that until I had enough money to go blow it on tour. I'm not sure I would have ever retired from tournament prize money, but I do know I was very happy.
I was driving to my parents house from Sacramento. I was out sorta by Abel Chevrolet in Isleton / Rio Vista California. It is a levee road with steep drop offs on both sides. It is far out in the middle of nowhere. One lane of traffic in each direction, but freeway speeds. A ___ truck crossed over double yellows and hit me head on at those freeway speeds!
***gruesome parts***
I remember a fair amount about the accident, but lets skip ahead. My Dad is asking if I am there and if I know who he is. I remember thinking, "How did he get in my bedroom? and "I am going to be late for work." He told me I was in a car accident . I said, "I have been in car accidents before." He said you are in the hospital and I said, "that is a good place to be after an accident.." Then he said everything was going to be okay. I heard the words "going to be" and decided it was time to do a quick scan of my surroundings. I am face down hovering over a bed. This obviously makes no sense to me. But then I feel myself lift up, from inside. I have big metal rods coming out of both legs and arms picking me up higher off the bed.
Here was the situation when I got air lifted to the hospital. I had a ruptured spleen that was bleeding like crazy and they needed to get to that first. But they couldn't lay me on my back because I had a broken neck. And they couldn't put me face down on a table with the center missing because both of my femurs were sticking through the front of my legs. Other highlights include shattering both knee caps into 20+ pieces. Another compound fracture around my ankle to go along with the crushed right foot (broke every bone and made extraction from the vehicle tricky) Everything below my right ankle was being held on by an external fixator.. Google it, it looks like a mid-evil torture device. I had another bone sticking out of my left arm. Dislocated shoulder, broken ribs. I am sure I forgot some stuff, but I was obviously not in good shape. To make matters worse, they saw significant brain injuries in the cat-scans so they had to wake me up before they could start surgery.
(I can't find one of my knee, but it has a lot of hardware as well.)
The surgeries. The first day of surgeries was 8 hours, the second day was another 8, the third day they let my body rest, and the fourth day was another 8. I was in a coma for those 4 days and spent 10 days in the ICU. 26 procedures total over the following 14 months. After the 10 days in the ICU, I was stable enough to transfer to John Muir in Walnut Creek, where I would stay for the next month and a half. Doctors said I might never walk again. Enter Dr.. Faulkerson, THE MAN! He is the head trauma surgeon at John Muir and did an incredible job putting me back together. We even re-broke my knee because he thought the way the surgery went "I would be able to walk, but not do anything too athletic." At that point in time, I was still pretty sure I was going to play professional tennis again, "just give me a year or two to recover." That was before the year and a half in a wheel chair. My parents ran into Dr. Fulkerson walking their dog. He asked about me and they told him I bought a corvette and was really getting into track driving. His eyes got really big because he is a big HPDE guy too! I know our paths will cross again, I always have my eyes peeled for his white Porsche at the track.
Let's make this story a little crazier. Rewind back to the crash site..The first person on scene was a retired fire chief! He happen to be tending to the crops out there. He called med-evac before the truck driver was able to dial 911.. I had a ruptured spleen and was having major seizures, so every second counted!
I feel very fortunate to have been welcomed into the Corvette community. This sight has taught me everything I know about Corvettes. I never would have put this out there if I didn't feel pretty comfortable around here. I mean when I say, if I could go back and change it, I would. The pain was, is, and will be excruciating. I don't mind talking about the accident and am very proud of my recovery.
I would rather be healthy than wealthy any day. But, I am thankful because I could have been hit by an un-insured farmer and got no money. I generated over a million dollars in hospital bills before I left the first time. There was a lawsuit and a substantial settlement. I factory ordered my 2016 corvette z51 and got it late 2015. In late 2016, I went to my first track day. in 2017 I went to 30 track days. I plan on doing more than that this year. I am hooked bad. It feels incredible to push myself again. Those lap times keep falling! I am so hilariously sore after 1 day of track driving that I think to myself "how could I ever do 2 days in a row?" But then that second day comes and I am fired up and ready to go! There are very few things in the world that can get me to a destination at 7:15 am, but track driving is definitely one of them.
The most recent development in my life is potentially working for HOD (an hpde group) as a beginner coach. I started with and want to work for hooked on driving. because of their amazing safety reputation. When I first started, they were bragging how they went 2 or 3 million miles on track with no car-to-car contact. I believe that has since come to an end, but their reputation for safety is second to none! Given my wreck, safety is my top priority. I know it is ironic that I got in a big car wreck and then started driving fast on race tracks. But I can't tell you guys and girls how happy it makes me. I will never be fast on a tennis court again, but I can get in a vehicle and push myself and get faster.... aaahhh I love it! This job / activity / car has just been the best thing for me the last couple years. Thank you all for your Corvette knowledge and good times on the forums. If anyone has a vette in California and is thinking about taking it on a race track (even if it is just once) Please reach out to me and let's see if I can be your coach. Because of my tennis background, I have almost no car friends. But I am trying to make some!
Thanks again guys,
John
@theplatinumog
Edit: I am going to go ahead and start a YouTube channel with my c7 and my new car! Obviously, I don't have many eggs in this basket, but if it doesn't get popular, it will serve as great car-related memories for myself If you enjoy the videos, please subscribe. If you see any way I can improve my driving, editing, or presenting, please let me know! (In a nice way preferably)
God Almighty! Had me cringing just looking thru the x-rays. I feel such admiration for someone who goes thru so much pain/recovery & then finds the passion to go on to something that challenges them. I believe if you hadn't been such a fighter before this, that the outcome might have been different. Have a ball for all us wanna-be drivers!
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-
'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
John - what an incredible number of things you have had to overcome due to the accident. Welcome to the forum and best of luck in your continued recovery and in your driving passion.
What a story John. I’m very sorry you had to go through all of that, but what a guy you seem to be. You are radiant with positivity and optimism.
I’ll go out on a limb and say your parents are very lucky they have you as a son. Your positivity has had to help them recover from this trauma as well.
My my son was born with CP, has also had several surgeries and will never be able to drive a car, but I’m going to show him your story, it will be an inspiration to him next time he has to undergo a surgery. Not just because you came out the other end, but the WAY you got through it and didn’t let it detract from your life, rather you just chose a new course.
Welcome to CF! We are all proud to have you as a member on our forum. Hope to meet you in person some day. Keep racing! Godspeed.
Hello John, I have seen several of your threads and posts since you became a member. You always seemed like a guy genuinely interested in Vettes. I assumed you were fairly young based on a few posts. I had no idea what your background was and had no idea about your accident.
I am sorry to hear of your accident. Very sad, but you have an amazing attitude. That type of attitude will take you very far and get you through many of life's challenges.
I wish you the best in the future and hope it brings you happiness and much fulfillment. Since tennis appears to be one of your passions, I hope you are able to continue a sport you excel at and enjoy.
Hi, John. Thanks for your compelling story that helps to remind us we can surprise ourselves with the obstacles we can overcome with positive thought!
Best wishes with your driving/teaching career.
John,
What an incredible story! Defiantly not the way most of us picture retiring at 26. Your obviously one hell of a fighter! I’m amazed and inspired by your struggle. Our community is better with you! Glad you made it! To many more track days of fun
What’s the saying? “The man with no shoes complained until he met the man with no feet”.
Your story is inspiring on many levels. Thank you for sharing! I wish you well in all that you do. Kudos to you sir and welcome to the Corvette family!
John,
What an incredible story! Defiantly not the way most of us picture retiring at 26. Your obviously one hell of a fighter! I’m amazed and inspired by your struggle. Our community is better with you! Glad you made it! To many more track days of fun
Robert
I am so looking forward to next weekend See you at Thunderhill! I am glad everyone in your home was okay from that shooting. It's amazing how fragile life can be. Let's make the most of the time we got left!
04-29-2018, 06:24 AM
I am (very) lucky to be here!
If you enjoy the videos, please subscribe. If you see any way I can improve my driving, editing, or presenting, please let me know! (In a nice way preferably) 
