RANTOUL, IL – Nearly two years after an accident left a Morgan County teenager with severe spinal cord injuries, he is back riding dirt bikes once again.
This past weekend, Lucas Grounds road his dirt bike for the first time at the B-52 Hanger MX in Illinois.
When we spoke with the 17-year-old in May, he was about to compete in his first GNCC race since the accident. Alongside his best friend and mechanic, David Quillen – or “DQ” for short – they adapted bikes by installing hand controls to accelerate, steer and brake.
At the time, Grounds said his main goal was to get back on a dirt bike again.
In December of 2020, Grounds hit a covered bridge while riding dirt bikes with friends. He suffered severe spinal cord injuries from the waist down and spent 61 days at Riley Hospital for Children recovering. In the two years since, he has worked towards walking again.
“Most people would take something like this and say maybe it’s time to slow down and I’ve probably done everything but slow down,” Grounds said to WRTV in May.
Before his accident, he signed a deal to go pro. He is a seven-time Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) elite racer.
His mom, Shanda, shared these photos with us from this weekend’s event.
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