Mon Feb 23 2004 Byline: Karen Boden Source: Alberni Valley Times

When Bobby Hamilton crashed his motorcycle at the age of 21 and broke his
back, people were amazed that he maintained such a healthy and positive
attitude.

“I woke up the next morning and it was the happiest day of my life,” said
Hamilton last Friday during a visit back to Port Alberni.
He’s a man who smiles when he talks to you, his eyes hold yours and you can
hear the warmth and sincerity in his voice.

“It was the happiest day of my life because I was alive.”

Physically, he was badly broken when emergency crews picked his crumpled
body off the pavement of Old Nanaimo Highway late one Saturday night in
October, 1996. Three vertebrae in his back were exploded, both lungs were
collapsed and his scapula was fractured. His legs were paralyzed and he was
destined, health professionals explained, to live life from a wheelchair.
A born and raised Alberni Valley boy, the young Hamilton had a need for
speed, a zest for life and a love of back-country motorcycle riding. He also
liked riding his street bike.

His faith in God — nurtured at the Elim Tabernacle while he grew up — was
another important aspect of his life and today he credits “the big guy” for
saving his life that night seven and a half years ago.

The fall and winter following his accident didn’t knock him down. Over the
next five months Hamilton learned coping skills at a Vancouver recovery
centre and he said experts who worked with him didn’t quite know what to
make of him — either he had the most tremendous healthy attitude they’d
ever seen or he was in absolute and complete denial.

Staff kept reminding him of his limitations and pushing him to acknowledge
some of the obstacles he faced, he recalls now.

“I was actually held back by that. That was my barrier. I wanted to start to
brace-walk right away and pump iron but they kept telling me I couldn’t.”
Still, his spirit persevered and Hamilton’s recovery time was remarkably
short. “People would ask me, ‘will you ever walk again?’ and I’d tell them,
‘no, I’ll be too busy running!’.”

The love and support showed him by his family and friends in Port Alberni
must have meant a lot to him — he struggles to keep his emotions in check
today when he tells about it.

Before his accident Hamilton was enjoying his career in the automotive
field. He worked in parts and service for the local Chrysler dealership. He
was active and strong, but not a competitive athlete by any means. He liked
to swim, lift weights and run. After his motorcycle crash, though, Hamilton
discovered his sport.

He became Port Alberni’s shining star, a record-breaking, awe-inspiring,
wheelchair racing, athlete.