Comeback Season — Dean Wilson
The roaring engines fuel the intensity of adrenaline that hovers over the athletes at the gates. The echoing noise of revved engines fill the air with exhaust and intensity. The pestering memories of mistakes made knock on the door of entry. He was just a sophomore when he entered his first professional race, yet here he sat waiting for the gates to drop hoping that he could relive his past wins.
Dean Wilson, the winning rookie, but strong amateur of AMA Supercross Championship of 2011 now sat contemplating whether he could ever pull through another win in 2015. Wilson at only 15 had won eight major moto’s in Canada before moving into the U.S to kick-start his career in the sport that he eat, breathed and lived for. The guy that everyone once knew slowly turned into a name whispered in the wind. His story was one for the books; he was the next rising athlete in Motocross but then it all changed after one wipeout.
Dean Wilson was born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland before moving to Alberta where he later discovered his passion in the riding industry of motocross. Andy Wilson, Dean’s dad sacrificed everything to train Dean to be the best he could be — thus his admittance into the professional sport today. They sacrificed so much so that Dean eventually was homeschooled after completing grade eight to focus everything into his skill and technique of riding. One thing that made Dean stand out from many riders of the past and present was his height, standing at 5’11 was rare for any of the athletes as being tall made riding more challenging.
Dean was a rising star from 2008 to 2012, winning his first six championships for his Kawasaki’s team through the green amateur program. Continuing into 2009, he won another 13 championships — winning both the 250A and 450A classes during the National Motocross Championships. Then came his rookie season in 2010, where he earned not one but two podium finishes after missing two races and was still named AMA Rookie of the Year. 2011 was just around the corner where he shined brighter than ever, winning a total of 11 AMA 250cc moto’s. He battled to take the title during the first half of the season, but was able to pull through in the second half. In 2011, Dean Wilson walked away with his first ever-professional championship in the 250cc class — topping all of his competition.
In the year of 2012 a serious injury (only three races out from winning his second professional championship) sideswiped Dean. He sustained an injury to his shoulder, where he took a corner to fast and was thrown off his bike into the muddy track that buried him in pain. This disabled Dean from riding any further until the injury healed. Dean was forced to miss his chance to redeem himself to bring in another win in the AMA, but was still able to place second. Following the year of his first injury came his second. In 2013 Dean started the year off better than ever, full of confidence and strength after his recovery — unfortunately after a few rounds of racing the East Coast he sustained yet another injury to his shoulder. The injury happened due to a slip up between another rider and him when he was cut off and throw off his bike yet again.
Dean signed with a team known as JWR, a Kawasaki based team in 2013. However, JWR was forced to fold behind no reason, leaving him without a ride. Pro circuit, Wilson’s prior team stepped up to the plate and resigned him where an agreement was placed he would only race the 450 class (something Dean always wanted). Sadly, Dean sustained yet his third injury to the back of his knee where continuously for the next few years to come the injury would occur in the same place. Dean tore his MCL/ACL through a hyperextension of his leg when trying to pull up through the whoops to pass his competition. Redbull being his biggest supporter flew him out to Belgium where only the best doctors would perform his surgery. Wilson thought he had avoided hitting any major ligaments or tendons, but was shocked to hear he had torn both his MCL and ACL damaging a majority of his tendons and muscles
Dean’s confidence took a big blow in 2015 after the knee injury he sustained. The once confident, strong, and head rookie winner of the AMA was now soft spoken, quiet and hidden from the only thing he had ever loved — Motocross. Dean went through several surgeries, where his knee ended up getting a staph infection putting him out for even longer then he had hoped. He sat in disbelief in his hospital bed, questioning whether he would ever catch a break from this train of bad luck and whether he would ever be what he once was.
“How is this happening to me again? How many people have their front back tire mid turn catch and just pick their bike back up? This one really stings me as I gave up everything this offseason (2015),” he spoke with a soft sad heartened tone.
Wilson continued to state that he prepared in every way he could to do better this season, “I started off strong. I felt by round five I would be where I wanted to be. I only had 30 seconds to go on the clock. I had a solid lap going, but then my front tired washed and I felt it.” He spent eight hours a day training to get back into the sport, going to physiotherapy each day and feeling better after every visit.
Deep down, biting his tongue and holding back tears he described the agony barrier of truth he was not willing to accept, “I put my hands together, prayed to god and asked him that I didn’t just blow my knee again.”
Andy Wilson boiled in frustration, “I knew when he went down something was wrong. I could feel it in my gut and I couldn’t even bare to watch him struggle to get back up again after all the other injuries he had sustained — it was emotionally draining, for him, for me, for his mother.”
Through thick and thin, Redbull had been one of Dean’s greatest supporters. His Mechanic Matt Progule stated, “It’s extremely hard to witness him go from first to last and struggle to bring it back even after all the work and dedication he puts in year after year,” he continued to say, “It’s a bubble of bad luck he seems unable to escape, and he losses his confidence with it more and more each time.”
Throughout it all, despite the struggle Dean was able to set an example to not just athletes themselves but any ordinary kid out there.
“Tears ran down my eyes, and I broke down thinking that this was my year to make it happen again,” he continued, “this injury has not discouraged me and I am going to do everything I can to come back strong. I hope that I can set a good example for people and kids that have unfortunate luck and face injuries that make them want to quit.”
Wilson summarized his experience with a very slight smile while a single tear streamed down his face stating, “just because there are some bumps on the road we push through them and become more successful. For me I believe the light is still shining at the end of the tunnel and I am willing to do whatever it takes.”
