Freestyle motocross legend Robbie Maddison has a friend named Chris Ackerman. In March 2003, Ackerman suffered a freestyle accident at Dumont Dunes that potentially could have taken his life. He sustained a broken wrist, dislocated shoulders, collapsed lungs, shattered pelvis, broken ribs and a C-2 spinal cord injury that left him a quadriplegic.
Since then, Ackerman’s will to live has blown the mind of Maddison and everyone who knows him. In fact, Ackerman mentioned to Maddison how he would love to feel the wind in his face. This spurred the idea of putting Ackerman in a motorcycle sidecar and taking him for a ride. On a magical night recently, Ackerman in fact got to enjoy the freedom that riding bikes brings him thanks to Maddison and the close-knit FMX family.
The video here chronicles that experience and the special relationship between Maddison and Ackerman.
“Chris truly does have wings for life,” said Maddison. “I am thrilled to bring a smile to his face and confirm that life is not over when you have an injury like this.”
Maddison will be running in the Wings for Life World Run on May 3 in Santa Clarita, Calif. This World Run is dedicated to funding spinal cord injury research around the world. Registration is open till April 28 and people can run or donate at: wings for life world run