TT racer who survived 130mph crash wants to give back to those who saved her life

A TT racer, who doctors feared would be paralysed for life following a 130mph crash, is back on the Isle of Man determined to give something back to those who helped her.

Fiona Baker-Holden from Cumbria was in a side-car with her father when they crashed and was thrown off her bike.

"We'd caught up to a bike in front of us and in that blink of an eye, two weeks had past and we'd had an accident," Fiona said.

"We crashed at 130 miles per hour. I believe I got spat 20 metres up in the air and hit a tree and landed back on the track."

Fiona broke her neck and doctors feared she would be paralysed for life, but five years on, and she is back at the TT to support her partner.

Fiona broke her neck and doctors feared she would be paralysed for life. Credit: Family picture

John Holden still races in the Isle of Man, despite the risks.

John said: "I have a funny philosophy that when it's your time, it's your time.

"I lost my sister to cancer 10 years ago, you have to get on with life and do what you want, when you want to do it.

"It is dangerous, I've lost friends. It is a risk but you always think it's not gonna happen to you, you try and cover every possibility and make sure everything's safe as much as it can be."

Despite her accident, Fiona still turns up to support him.

"We're a team. I help him to achieve out on track," she said

"I'm always there for him, I would never stop him doing it, that what it's about. I'm wholly about what he does."

Following her accident, Fiona was given treatment at the Walton Centre in Liverpool and now her and her partner want to give back.

The pair are planning a self-funded trek up Mount Everest to raise money for the centre that saved her life.

"When I was at the Walton centre, the care and attention that I got from them was just fabulous," she added.

"Even when I was lying in my hospital bed, at the Walton centre it was like i have to do something to say thank you for the good care and attention. Essentially they saved my life."

But even despite the risks and the trauma of her accident, Fiona keeps on coming back to the track.

"I keep saying to people it's like a bitter divorce, where you're still in love with the person whose leaving you.

"For me, it's an inexplicable necessity. You just sometimes don't know why you do it, but you have to do it. The sense of freedom, I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

You can find more on Fiona's fundraising efforts here.

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