“Glasgow 3 is the lowest state of consciousness there is, deep coma. I think people need to be made aware of what it means to be in a coma and that waking up doesn’t happen like in the movies. “ This is one of the sentences that is written Kenny noyes in his newly released autobiography, ‘Challenges of Superbike, Moto2 and Glasgow 3’. Only the presentation video, which can be seen at the end of these lines, already gives an idea of the ordeal lived by The American from Miraflores and poleman of Moto2 in France 2012, as well as champion of Spain of SBK. He pretends to be a reference for other people in trouble and talks to his father, the charismatic Dennis Noyes, shells for ACE the day-to-day details of this hero who, six years ago, in Aragon, changed his life forever.
-The evolution that Kenny Noyes has had and what he has suffered in these last six years is impressive. What can you say about your book?
-That is a book that I never thought I would write and it is very special. He has spent two and a half years doing it.
-How is Kenny today?
-We just got back from walking. He without help, long distance, like two kilometers through Hospitalet. Slow, but getting better, with balance. When you have an injury like hers, everything is like being born again. We say that he is six years old now.
-What exactly was the injury?
-A major head injury. It meant going into a deep coma and the big question was whether he was going to come out or not. The doctors told us there was little chance, but we did not accept it. We kept talking to him and one day, even though he didn’t speak, we saw a spark in his eyes when I told him an old story about Kenny Roberts and Randy Mamola that he really liked. Suddenly I saw that, although the expression did not change, the eyes were laughing a little. There was a spark and I knew it was in there.
-Goosebumps…
-It has been a long process, but little by little he has come out and he is himself again. Now it is a physical struggle to be able to have the mobility of before. He has problems with speech and that is why he has written a book instead of doing a program. (Serie).
– Regaining speech is the thing that makes you the most pissed off right now?
-Yes Yes. He does a lot of speech therapy and I also do a lot with him. Although I am now in Spain, when I am not, we connect every day thanks to technological miracles and we spend about half an hour a day doing speech therapy work. Me from Borrego and he from here, coordinating the hours of difference between the United States and Spain, which are nine hours and 10,000 kilometers apart.
– Have you had the opportunity to talk about the accident in all this time or is it something that he does not remember?
-Remembering the accident, he will never remember it, because that has been eliminated, but thanks to security cameras from the Aragon circuit, and with the help of Dorna to obtain permission to see it, he has been able to see the accident, understand it, understand it. He’s seen it like forty times, to know exactly what happened.
-And went?
-That a French driver who came out of the pits was slow and, just at the moment when Kenny is coming out of the Corkscrew part, when he is very committed and cannot change his trajectory, the other driver, without knowing that Kenny was , gets in the way. There is a crash, the motorcycle goes against the protections, it returns with all the bad luck that hits it directly in the helmet. He knows what happened and there is nothing worse than not knowing what happened.
-Does that leave you calmer?
-Yes, and he says that he has no resentment or remorse, because when you get the license you know that something like this can happen to you. You hope not, but it happens. This does not mean that you want less the sport of the motorcycle. He follows it daily.
-And you, as the father of a pilot, and not as a motorcycle specialist, how many times have you cursed that accident and tell me if you have ever regretted having passed on this passion for motorcycles? And sorry for the question, because it can be harsh.
-No no no. We have always fitted it well. In fact, I have not been a father of those who push towards the races. I have two children. You like cameras and you work on television, in Hollywood. And the other, although I did everything possible for him to play baseball, basketball and all this, I saw when I was 12 or 13 years old that I was very determined to follow the Motorcycle World Cup, because I came from a family where we have experienced this. As we are close friends, we live closely with Wayne Rainey (He has written the foreword to the book). Kenny was with Wayne before and after the accident. We go into all of this with open eyes and look only ahead. The important thing is that he has survived the worst and that we are already with this new life. Kenny has turned six years after the accident.
-And it has to be an example for others. It also happens with Albert Llovera, a guy I admire a lot. Is the philosophy of your book about being able to help other people in trouble?
-Exactly. When Kenny happened, we looked for examples of people who have survived and succeeded after accidents. Now it is Kenny who inspires others with his book.
-Tell Kenny that the next interview about his book will be done directly with him, when he improves his speech, that he will get it for sure. Give him a big hug from me and let him know that I have already bought the book so he can sign it for me at kennynoyes.com/store.
-I’ll give it to you. Thanks Mela, a hug for you too.