Speedway champion tells of his ride from coma to comeback

Tai Woffinden, 35, is the most successful British speedway rider [TŻ Ostrovia/Wojciech Tarchalski]

Twelve months ago, three-time speedway world champion Tai Woffinden was waiting at the starting line hoping for a new beginning. Elbow surgery had wrecked his 2024 season but he was optimistic his latest campaign would be different. Within seconds, it turned into disaster.

A first-corner crash with his team-mate left him in a medically-induced coma and with a double break in his right leg, a broken back, a broken shoulder, multiple broken ribs, a punctured lung, a fractured arm and extensive blood loss.

But after a lengthy rehabilitation programme, the 35-year-old returned to action in Poland on Saturday, scoring 11 points in TŻ Ostrovia's win over Poznan.

"The emotion hit me after the race. I was crying but that's not surprising," he said. "It's been a lot of hard work, sacrifice, pain and suffering. To finally come back was a big relief."

Tai Woffinden has returned to the sport after a 22-month layoff [TŻ Ostrovia/Wojciech Tarchalski]

This weekend Woffinden returns to Krosno, the scene of his accident, but he said there would be "no stress" and he would treat the experience as a milestone.

Despite that positivity, the Scunthorpe-born rider said the past two years had been the hardest of his career.

"My body was so broken that I wasn't able to do anything. I could walk to the car to go to physio, do that for four or five hours, but then I'd come home and I was destroyed," he said.

"There was a point where there was so much going on that I couldn't even get out of the bath.

"I had to keep the same mindset that I've always had – don't look back, don't dwell on anything. It was just 'Let's get back, I can do this'."

Four months after he was discharged from hospital, Woffinden was back on a bike, and he said ending his 20-year motorsport career had never been a consideration.

"When I was in ICU coming round, I was talking about getting back on the bike. I've never not wanted to do it. It's what I do for a living and I love what I do.

"Obviously, there are risk factors involved but you don't think about that until you're injured."

The father-of-two said he would not have been able to make his comeback without the support of his wife, Faye.

"She's been an absolute rock and led from the moment I crashed," he said.

"She was in Australia when I had the accident. She got on a plane, and I was having operations.

"Every update she got was worse and worse. She got to the point where she was thinking they were waiting for her to arrive in Poland to say 'He's not made it. He's passed away'.

"It was very tough mentally for Faye. She managed to shelter the kids from it all, too. They understand that I crashed and was injured, but that's it."

Tai Woffinden is a three-time Grand Prix world champion [Quinn Rooney/Getty Images]

Woffinden, who is Britain's most decorated racer after winning Grand Prix world titles in 2013, 2015 and 2018, wants to race again in the UK before the end of his career.

For now, he is concentrating on life as captain of TŻ Ostrovia in the Polish Speedway 2 Ekstraliga.

"I was surprised when they gave me [the captaincy] because I've had a long break, but I'm still at a really high level," he said.

"The way I carry myself, they can see that I'm a team leader.

"I haven't had a team captaincy in Poland [before], so that was really cool."

Woffinden also turned down the chance to compete alongside the world's top riders in the Grand Prix series in 2026, admitting he was not quite ready.

He said: "I know what it takes to win a world championship and you have to tick every single box and I just feel like I need that year out.

"It was tough to make that decision but, at the end of the day, I'm not going in there to make the numbers up."

Tai Woffinden says he is still "blown away" by his achievements in the sport [TŻ Ostrovia/Wojciech Tarchalski]

Woffinden estimates he has lost about three-and-a-half years of his 20-year career but he remains philosophical about it.

"To think I've achieved everything that there is in the sport still blows my mind. Yes, I've had hiccups along the way, which have probably slowed me down, but that's just a part of the sport," he said.

"I'm still here, still doing it, still enjoying it, still loving it. It's just new challenges, different goalposts and I just keep kicking goals."

So what would represent a successful year for him?

"I think finishing top five in the averages in the league that I'm racing in would be a realistic goal, and having a year without an injury would be pretty nice. I've forgotten what that feels like," he said.

"And just finding my flow again, enjoying it. It's not one big thing – there [are] lots of little things.

"I'm very lucky, privileged that I get to live the life that I have.

"It's a very special thing and I'm looking forward to this next chapter."

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More on this story

• Woffinden back on bike for first time after crash
• Speedway champion 'on the mend' after crash
• Speedway rider in coma after racing crash
• Third speedway world title for Woffinden

Related internet links

• Tai Woffinden