Hull Vikings - A team without a home - kept alive by its fans - Stead: Hull holds special place in my heart

PARALYSED former Hull Vikings' star Garry Stead believes the support he's receiving from the speedway community is helping drive his rehabilitation programme.

The 35-year-old will spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair after a life-threatening horror crash at Somerset in May.

He is still in Wakefield's Pinderfield's Hospital, as he battles to recover from a broken back, femur, ankle, head injuries and internal bleeding.

Vikings fans have organised their own fund-raiser at Craven Park tomorrow, one of a series of events around the country to help Stead through the most challenging period of his life.

said Stead.

"Without that support I'm not sure what I'd have done."

Hull remains close to Stead's heart after racing at Craven Park for seven seasons, winning five trophies, including the 2004 treble of Premier League title, Knockout Cup and play-offs.

"Hull was always my 'first love' if you like and I had seven great years there" said Stead, who was an integral part of the Vikings' success.

"I never really wanted to leave, but with the Vikings going under in 2005 I didn't have a choice.

"Had the accident not happened and the Vikings had reopened then I would definitely have loved to have come back.

"That can't happen now, but I'll always have a place in my heart for Hull and would like to thank everyone in the city who has supported me."

Stead is applying the same grit and determination to his recovery programme as he showed week-in and week-out on the track.

"I'm into my seventh week of physiotherapy and it's quite hard really as I'm doing two sessions a day" he said.

"I start at 10am and the first part entails working with apparatus, trying to work all the muscles and improve my co-ordination and balance.

"In the afternoon I move onto the weights so I can work on my upper-body strength.

"All of that is going well, but there is another side which is learning to adapt to my situation.

"I work on getting in and out of the wheelchair and other things like that and it's hard to get your head around it all at times.

"There's a massive difference between being able-bodied and disabled and it's the basic tasks like going to the toilet and dressing yourself that take some adapting to.

"I'm working at it all the time and my outlook is a very positive one.

"At the minute I feel as though I've hit a little bit of a wall because my broken leg is still healing and I'm still in a back brace.

"That should be coming off in the next week or two and I'll be able to crack on and get stuck into the next stage of my rehabilitation."

Hull Daily Mail