Four years after a bike crash left him paralyzed, a Rockford man has returned to cycling and recently hit a major milestone — his 100,000th mile.
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Rockford man returns to cycling after spinal cord injury
David Medema, who has been riding bikes for about 45 years, crashed on the White Pine Trail just north of Cedar Springs four years ago. The accident shattered his helmet and left him unconscious with a spinal cord injury.
“At the very last second, I saw the tree, I braked really hard, and I went over my handlebars. It’s total full body in the air. I hit the asphalt path on the top of my head,” Medema said.
The impact initially left him paralyzed, but his condition began to improve while he was in the ICU.
“I’m lying in ICU, and my paralysis is going away. It wasn’t long-term, but I knew right away I wanted to ride again,” said Medema…