Broken bones, unbroken spirit: Moodley races on to make bold return

For most teenagers, a severe crash that breaks bones would be enough to step away from the sport they love. For Ruchè Moodley, it was simply another challenge to overcome on his journey in motorcycle racing.

The 18-year-old, Eastern Cape-born racer made his return at Spielberg's Red Bull Ring in Austria this past weekend following a harrowing crash at Mugello, Italy, in late June, and the mid-season summer break. At Mugello, Moodley went down and was struck by riders behind him, breaking his scapula and a vertebra.

Yet, the teenager displayed immense determination to return after a short recovery, completing the Austrian Grand Prix in P17, after starting in P19, in the Moto3 category. Moodley admitted that regaining confidence was a challenge, but said he now feels fit again in body, even though the mind might still take some time to fully recover.

“I feel 100% physically, but I lost a lot of time on the bike — I think about three races and a few tests — so it took me a while to get the confidence back,” he explained.

“I don’t really think about the injury from before. I’ve also had quite a few injuries, so I’m used to coming back and learning how to forget it.”

Recently, Red Bull released another episode of their YouTube series Born Racers, featuring Moodley and his family. In it, his parents, Chanelle and Arushen, spoke about the trauma they endured after their son’s life-threatening crash, which nearly ended his career. After Mugello, they spent 10 days at his hospital bedside.

“It is obviously quite difficult for them to see me injured,” Moodley said.

“They’ve always been supportive, even with the injuries, but I think it’s really difficult for them to see me hurting. They also know it’s part of the sport.

"I can’t really think about the danger. When you’re out there and start overthinking, it becomes more dangerous. If you lose focus for half a second, you will crash.”

During the summer break, Moodley returned to South Africa to spend time with his family and focus on recovery. While confined to the house, he played the MotoGP video game to familiarise himself with upcoming Asian circuits, which will be new territory after mainly racing in Europe.

“Because of the crash, I missed some races and have a lot of catching up to do. Also, a lot of new tracks are coming up, so I’m looking forward to that,” he said.

“The climate in Asia is quite different — hotter, with the bike behaving differently, and the weather is less predictable. Learning the new tracks as quickly as possible is important.”

The Asian leg of the MotoGP season starts in late September in Japan. Before that, Moodley will test his confidence in Hungary this weekend, followed by the Catalan and San Marino GPs. 

Nevertheless, Moodley’s comeback at Spielberg this past weekend is a testament not just to his skill on the bike, but to his courage and determination as a young athlete.

Overcoming serious injuries and returning to compete at the highest level shows that he has both the talent and the mindset to keep pushing boundaries — a rider clearly destined for a bright future in the sport.