In a letter headed by Repsol Honda, Marc Marquez indulges in confidence about his condition, his operation and his vision of daily life since he suffered this serious injury to his right arm. The latter has been operated on four times and the way things are looking after this last intervention allows us to hope that this scenario envisaged by the eight-time World Champion in the darkest moments of his previous convalescences should definitively be ruled out: take early retirement. A confidence which is not the only one in this poignantly sincere missive…
Marc Marquez moving during this summer period which calls for carefreeness. This is the effect of a letter where each passage is a confidence about his suffering, his doubts, but also his current relief which he hopes will last, because nothing is yet certain. And the pilot comes so far, reading it, that we understand that he takes things day by day. He also talks about his support among his peers and elders, reiterates his “ benchmark » who is the tennis player Rafa Nadal and, of course, hugs his fans for their energy and unwavering support. A life lesson that only these immense champions know how to exude.
After the operation a few weeks ago, which fortunately took place successfully, Marc Marquez posted this long letter to his fans and enthusiasts of MotoGP, via the official blog of Repsol Honda. “ Hello everybody ! It's been a while since I've been here, but I haven't forgotten you. I have received so many messages of encouragement from you and they are appreciated, especially at times like this. I want to let you know how I'm doing with my recovery ».
The eight-time world champion said he was confident about how he felt after the operation and hopes to be able to return to competition as soon as possible. The best response he gave to those who think his attitude is too exaggerated was to admit that his motivation comes from passion and the desire to return to high-level competition or at least to have fun on the bike, which was practically impossible in recent months.
« The idea that I would have to have another operation had been there since September last year. We checked my arm periodically to see how the fracture was progressing after the third surgery. When preseason arrived, I wanted to convince myself that I could avoid it, with the phrase “The power is in the mind” as my motto. But at the start of the season, I realized that the limits were very great. My idea was to compete all season considering that the bone was not one hundred percent consolidated from the third operation, but knowing my limits and hiding discomfort, to avoid everyday questions. Only the people closest to me knew about the situation ».
Marc then spoke about the period before and after surgery and how he faces the days between relaxation and the first workouts: “ the decisive moment came around the French Grand Prix. We decided to do another operation. The surgery in the United States surprised me a lot, for the way they planned the preoperative and postoperative period. It's very different from Spain. The post-op period was very quick, I was immediately released, cleared to fly and able to return home. The preparation, on the other hand, was very carefully planned and everything was done well in advance. Before the operation I was in a very good mood but in the hours that followed I felt worse, due to the anesthesia and the pain.. I had trouble for two or three days but since it wasn't the first time someone had operated on my arm and I already knew what it would be like. ».
Marc Marquez: “ I didn't see myself riding a motorcycle for much longer, maybe another year or two«
The Spaniard added that he felt better because he did not feel any pain and he will soon have to take an x-ray to then assess the next stage of rehabilitation: “Now I feel pretty good, because there is no pain. I still have my arm immobilized and I do light passive mobility exercises. I feel motivated, because I feel good, and I can't wait to start recovery as soon as the doctors tell me, to see if my arm is working as it should. My current feeling is one of hope. Because of the way I rode and raced, I didn't see myself riding motorcycles for much longer, maybe another year or two. After the operation in Rochester, there is hope that I will be able to continue running without pain and having fun on the bike. I am waiting for the x-ray which will be done in the sixth week. Depending on the evolution of the result of this x-ray, we will choose the path of recovery. In the meantime, I'm enjoying some vacation time, because we can't start 100% recovery yet. Right now, even though I feel like I have a lot of free time, I plan each day well. I get up early and go for an hour and a half on foot. Then I try to keep myself busy with team calls, with my family, or with things around the house. In the afternoon I started to work gently on the lower part of the body and a little on the left arm ».
In conclusion, the eight-time world champion reiterated that motivation comes from his passion for sport and during this difficult period his reference point was Rafa Nadal, since he too, although not 100%, still manages to always be competitive: “ sometimes I stop to think about motivation and in my case the only conclusion I come to is that mine comes from passion and enthusiasm. It also pushes me to think about the goal, which is to have fun and compete at a good level, without suffering or feeling pain.. I must say that I am not alone on this healing journey. I was supported by pilots like Àlex Crivillé who experienced something similar, Alberto puig who is the person with whom I have the most contact, because he is also the Team Manager of the Repsol Honda Team and also by Mick doohan because he suffered several serious injuries. These are the people who recommended me the most and I thank them for their support ».
« There is also a landmark at Rafa Nadal because even when people thought it was over, he was able to overcome the pain and win again. I saw him at the Masters 1000 in Madrid. I know everything he has suffered and that is why he is a reference for me, because even if he is not at his best level, he is capable of winning tournaments like Roland Garros. I remember at a press conference he admitted that the pain had changed his mood, and I understand that ».
Marc Marquez finished : " before saying goodbye, I want to thank you once again for the support I receive from all of you. I promise that I will do everything possible to compete again and enjoy the good times together ».
