Kim Clijsters’ accident and other athletes who got into fender-benders
Kim Clijsters is a real sports champion. Recently on the way to the stadium to play in the WTA Championship being held in Doha, Qatar, the car she was travelling in was involved in a serious collision. She was physically unhurt and managed to get into a
replacement car, make it to the stadium and win her match. This was an amazing feat and even though she was a little shaken up, she overcame it and managed to win. There have been other athletes who have been involved in car accidents over the years, but some
of them have not been as lucky as Kim.
Right before her semi-final match against Samantha Stosur, during the WTA Championship in Doha, Clijsters was in a car crash involving a truck. The car she was travelling in, on her way to the stadium, was hit by a large truck and the car was completely
destroyed. Clijsters was unhurt but her manager Bob Verbeeck was hit by some glass and suffered a few cuts. The tennis star was very shaken up by the accident and was put in a replacement car and taken to the stadium. She then had a shower and started her
match. She seemed very disturbed by what had just happened to her during the early stages of the match and she slipped to a 0-3 deficit. Despite of this early setback, she rallied back to take the first set 7-6(3) and the second 6-1 on her way to victory.
It is very interesting to see that even a large car crash could not slow the sports star down. She did initially falter but that is understandable because it takes numerous people a long time to get over car crashes. She is a true athlete and just seemed
to shake the crash off and continued her game. Over the years other athletes have also been involved in serious car accidents. Those that were able to escape with no or minor injuries just get back to it and start playing again. For some though, the physical
and mental scars take longer to heal.
An Olympic skier named Hermann Maier was involved in a horrific motorcycle accident in 2001. The crash was so bad that he broke both his legs and doctors told him he may never walk again. But in true heroic fashion, he not only walked again but at the 2006
Winter Olympics, he won a silver and a bronze medal. In another incident, New England Patriots player Tom Brady was involved in a car crash recently. He hit his Audi into a Ford minivan but he escaped unhurt, albeit a little shaken up. The very next day he
was back on the practice field training with his teammates.
Other players have not been so lucky. Chicago Bulls point guard, Jay Williams was involved in a major accident while riding his motorcycle in 2003. While on the bike, Williams hit a light post and flew ten feet away, severely injuring his leg. That leg injury
would cause the end of his career even before he had a chance to really begin. In another incident, Giants’ player Chad Jones suffered serious injuries when the Range Rover he was driving was in an accident. The car hit a light post and the player had to be
sawn out of the wreckage. Doctors almost had to amputate his foot, but they were somehow able to save it and he may or may not return to the game. At least he is lucky to be alive.
There were major campaigns started after a number of these types of accidents. Sports teams and leagues started to promote safe driving techniques, the need to wear seatbelts and also riding motorcycles with helmets on. This has had a positive effect to
some extent, but accidents involving athletes will continue in the near future and there seems to be nothing that anyone can do about them. Hopefully most of them are true champions like Clijsters and Brady and can get back to their game in no time at all.
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