Matt Battista seriously injured at Wanneroo Raceway

Superbike Champ injured
By, Trevor Hedge (July 11, 2008)

Reigning WA Superbike Champion and 27 times WA Motocross Champion Matt Battista crashed heavily during round three of the WA Superbike Championship at Wanneroo Raceway on Sunday, June 29.

Battista was ejected from his Superbike and landed heavily on his back.

He was taken to Joondalup Hospital before being transferred to Royal Perth Hospital with spinal injuries.

Battista suffered a number of injuries in the fall that included a broken shoulder, dislocated shoulder, a broken arm and a number of broken ribs but the spinal injuries to his lumber region were the major concern.

Matt underwent an MRI scan the day after the accident which unfortunately confirmed the initial prognosis of paraplegia. Matt now faces a future without the use of his lower limbs.

The WA motorcycling community is rallying behind the Battista family to provide support where they can at this immensely difficult time. Queries about his injuries and messages of support have been fielded from as far away as America and Great Britain.

Long term employer and sponsor Five Star Yamaha are shattered as is the whole WA Road Race and Motocross communities. The tight BHS Engineering Team headed by Barry and Myra Black are also devastated.

The incident that caused Matt's fall was a general racing incident the likes of which happen at virtually every road race meeting. It happened as Battista was fighting for position over Skyline and heading down towards the basin when his brake lever brushed against the machine of another competitor and as a result Matt lost control. At this stage the sequence of events leading up to the impact is immaterial and only mentioned here to quell any rumours or misinformation as to exactly how the accident happened.

Initially doctors were planning to operate in order to stabilise the lower vertebrae to allow Matt to sit upright in a chair. That would have meant Matt’s stay in hospital would be measured in months rather than weeks. Late last week however further investigation suggested that it might be best to instead allow the shattered vertebrae to fuse and mend naturally without the need for invasive surgery.

Yesterday Matt was transferred from hospital to the Shenton Park Rehabilitation Centre to start his road to recovery. The eventual goal is to get Matt back behind the counter at Five Star Yamaha dispensing the type of advice and parts support that only an A graded motocross and road racer can provide.

A trust fund is in the process of being set up to assist with Matt’s rehabilitation and the necessary house and vehicle modifications that his new wheels will require.

The Battista family wish to thank everybody for the messages of support and help that have flooded in from all corners of the globe. The close knit team at Five Star Yamaha are always abreast of the latest developments with Matt’s progress and are happy to pass on any cards or messages of support to Matt and his family.

Today Matt turns 32 years of age.