A surprising proponent of coral conservation?

Ed Green Ed.Green at unep-wcmc.org
Mon Sep 25 08:30:01 EDT 2000


Carl Fogarty, four times World Superbike champion and the leading British 
motorcycle racer of his (and my) generation, yesterday announced his 
retirement through injury. Interestingly he explained his decision by 
comparing his damaged shoulder to a coral:

"The arm cannot take the constant pounding. It's like a piece of coral 
that has broken  off - it takes years and years to grow back again".

While I have long admired Carl's ability to operate a motorcycle at 180+ 
mph I would never have expected an interest in corals. I hope it shows 
that an appreciation of marine conservation is reaching unlikely audiences!


Cheers,

Ed.


Full report below for anyone who is interested:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
 Broken arm forces 'King Carl' to quit

 By Roddy Brooks

 22 September 2000

 It had been rumoured, but yesterday it was confirmed: Carl Fogarty,  who 
won the World Superbike title four times and a special place in  the 
hearts of thousands of motorcycling fans, is to retire after finally  
succumbing to the arm injury he suffered at the start of the season.

 "King Carl", famous for his piercing stare and his withering criticism of 
 rivals, broke his left arm in three places in the second round of this
=season's world championship at Phillip Island, Australia, in April. He  
had an operation to pin the arm but has struggled to regain strength  and 
movement in the limb.

 At a special testing session set up by his team, Ducati, at Mugello,  
Italy, this week, the 35-year-old Blackburn rider realised he was  
fighting a losing battle.

 "I could not find the words to describe how bad it was when I came in  
after a few laps at Mugello," Fogarty said. "I had been playing a bit of  
tennis and a bit of jet-skiing and felt I wasn't a million miles away. But 
 on the bike it was horrendous. I was one per cent of the guy I was  seven 
months ago. I was stuck on this thing in absolute agony.

 "It confirmed everything that my specialist had said. The arm cannot  
take the constant pounding. It's like a piece of coral that has broken  
off - it takes years and years to grow back again.

 "All good things come to an end," Fogarty said. "It's a bad way but it  
could have been a hell of a lot worse. I have had a fantastic career  but 
it has not been the fantastic ending that I always thought I would  
have.=20

 "I wanted to go out with everyone knowing that it was the last time I  
would race. I've risked my life for 20 years and the most important  thing 
is to have my health. The decision has been made for me."

 Fogarty took his first world title in 1994 and followed that up the  
following year. Then, after an ill-fated year with Honda and a return to  
Ducati in 1997, he again secured back-to-back titles in 1998 and 1999.

 Among the other highlights in Fogarty's career are the Formula One  
titles he won in 1988 and 1989, the FIM World Cup in 1990 and the  World 
Endurance title in 1992. He also won three Isle of Man TT titles,  one in 
1989 and two in 1990.

 As he mulled over his decision, Fogarty, who will continue to work for  
Ducati in a promotional capacity, admitted being influenced by the  death 
in July of Joey Dunlop, the winner of 26 TT races. "It brings it  home to 
you, although what Joey did was so much different to what I  do," he 
said.




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