A teenager who was paralysed doing the sport she loves has unveiled a new mural honouring Superbike World Champion Jonathan Rea at her Newtownards estate.
The Co Antrim man clinched his fifth straight World Superbike title at Magny Cours on Sunday - and celebrated with a victory lap wearing a black dinner jacket and green bow tie.
Inspiring Jodie McCaughey, 19, who uses a wheelchair after snapping her spinal chord in a June 2017 motocross race, cut the ribbon on the Noel Morrison artwork to her hero on behalf of West Winds Social and Cultural Institution.
She said: “He’s class. He’s some character and he can ride a bike.
“This was a great opportunity. I know I do motocross and he does road biking but I got to meet him at the Cornmarket Awards and that motivated me to do this. I live in the estate where it was done - it’s amazing face-to-face.”
Jodie has been paralysed since she was 17 and has undergone seven surgeries to try to fix her spine and nerve damage now impacting her hands.
But said she wouldn’t have stopped the sport even if she had known the outcome.
The motor sports fan takes a range of drugs every day, including pregabalin and amitriptyline, but says none of the pain she has suffered since her accident has ended her love of biking.
“I love motocross so much,” she added.
“Even that tiny break we had when this happened it was killing me and the first weekend I was allowed out of Musgrave we went straight to Desertmartin.
“I am paralysed completely from T7 which is below your breast area and I am not going to walk again, which I have kind of accepted so I am not bothered about it anymore.
“Because the break was so far over it cut the spinal chord completely in half so now there’s scar tissue in there - your brain makes spinal fluid that needs to travel down your spine and into your body, but mine can get by the scar tissue so it is building up and creating pressure which is making my hands bad.
“It’s a big struggle. I need my hands - it’s very hard not having your legs never mind not having your hands.”
All the same Jodie said she is lucky to be alive.
“If it had moved any more it would have killed me there and then,” she explained
But she would still have taken that risk.
“It’s very hard to explain if you are not a motocross fan,” she continued.
“In 2013 I broke my knee and in 2016 I broke my femurs.
“After that my mum and dad didn’t want me doing racing, but I was adamant and I got back on the bike - then this happened.
“If I was to walk again, I would do it again.”
Jodie’s dreams of competing against the best may have been dashed that day, but she still hopes to carve out a career taking pictures on the circuit.
“I was really good. I was up there with the boys - then I lost the whole dream,” she explained.
“There’s nothing else I really even want to do - but I have got my own quad now so I can go about the track and get the videos and pictures I want.”
West Winds Social and Cultural Institution (WWSCI) is behind the Jonathan Rea which mural Jodie launched and the Housing Executive funded.
WWSCI chair Darren Gibson said: “West Winds estate suffers from high levels of division within the community, so this is the start of small steps being taken to create a more community friendly and positive area.
“We would like to congratulate Jonathan on securing his fifth straight World Superbike championship at the weekend, a true inspiration to community.”
The Housing Executive’s Community Cohesion team worked with WWSCI for 12 months to create the mural as an inspiration to young people across Northern Ireland.
Its Ards and North Down manager, Owen Brady, said: “The West Winds estate is an extremely vibrant Community and we wanted to highlight Jonathan as an inspiration to all young people that with hard work their dreams can become a reality.
“The artwork, completed by local artist Noel Morrison (Rocky’s Art), is incredible and has received a large amount of positive feedback from the local residents.
“We really hope that Jonathan likes the mural and that we might see him one day soon coming to have a look for himself.”
CLICK HERE to read Jodie's story in her own words. She is delving into her experience with syringomyelia which means a cyst or cavity has formed in her spinal chord.
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