Matthias Walkner's ordeal: "I thought about euthanasia"

When the Dakar Rally starts with a prologue in Saudi Arabia next Friday, Matthias Walkner will have to complete another tough special test in the AUVA accident hospital in Graz. After seven operations, an eighth procedure is still on the agenda. If everything goes well, the 37-year-old, who was the first Austrian to win the Dakar Rally motorcycle classification in 2016, will be able to put weight on his left leg again in the spring.

“My ankle looked like I had stepped on a landmine,” said Walkner in an interview with the motorsport online platform “speedweek.com”. On December 5th, the KTM factory rider had a serious fall in the USA while training for the Dakar Rally. The published diagnosis – a fractured tibia and fibula – didn’t sound quite as bad; in fact, it was by far the worst injury in the Salzburg player’s career, which was marked by several health setbacks.

In the comminuted fracture, one bone became 31 pieces, amputation was on the cards for a long time, and the pain was almost unbearable. “I thought about euthanasia. What happens to people who are no longer capable of doing anything because of the pain,” says Walkner. After two operations in Palm Springs, the seriously injured man was transferred to Graz, where he was operated on a total of five times before Christmas. A marathon operation lasted 15 hours. The doctors were not only exhausted afterwards, but also happy that everything went so well. Walkner: “I am extremely happy and grateful to have what feels like the best team in the world here around me.”

The eighth and currently last operation to rehabilitate the soft tissues and an operation on the knee joint should be a minor matter in comparison. According to “speedweek.com,” Walkner added the suffix “angel” to the names of his medical examiners when they were saved on his cell phone.

Gratitude and confidence

The motorsport professional is entering the new year with impressive optimism. There is no complaining, his spirit is carried by gratitude and confidence. “I’m glad I got off so lightly,” says Walkner. He doesn’t want to think about ending his career. On the contrary: “I will be able to ride a motorcycle again, and with a bit of luck even pain-free until the next Dakar.”