Latest news with #TaiWoffinden
Scottish Sun
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
‘I got to see what it looked like if I was dead' says Tai Woffinden as Speedway icon reveals horror details of coma
The legendary speedway driver has been working on a new career linked with Jack Grealish TAI'S TEARS 'I got to see what it looked like if I was dead' says Tai Woffinden as Speedway icon reveals horror details of coma TAI WOFFINDEN has admitted he got to see 'what it looked like if I was dead' after coming out of a coma. The five-times world champion has opened up further on his ordeal in the immediate aftermath of the horror crash in Poland on March 30. 9 Tai Woffinden exclusively spoke with The Sun about coming out of his coma Credit: Alamy 9 The speedway icon suffered multiple fractures after a horror crash 9 Tai's wife Faye has been by his side since the near-death ordeal Woffy, 34, broke over FIFTEEN bones and was placed in an induced coma after three major operations to save his life. The crash happened when Woffinden collided with a teammate and hit a fence behind a protective barrier. It left him with a double break in his right leg, a broken back, broken shoulder, multiple broken ribs, a punctured lung, fractured arm and extensive blood loss. The Great Britain hero and wife Faye revealed more details on his recovery and he simply 'does not know' if he'll ever return to the track. Woffinden, who is the country's most decorated rider after winning Grand Prix world titles in 2013, 2015 and 2018, has also spoken for the first time to The Sun about the acceleration of his DJ career which he is focused on while out of action. The Scunthorpe-born racer is teaming up with a massive dance superstar Oliver Heldens, who was the DJ for Man City's title celebrations and is helping Jack Grealish learn the trade. The track released this week, The Orange Room, derives from the iconic movie Clockwork Orange. On his future, he said: 'Honestly I don't know what the plan is moving forward or if I'm going ride again. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS 'We are currently selling up in the UK. We don't know where we are going to live next year, we don't know if we are going to be in Europe or if I'm going to ride again. 'I feel like I'd like to sit on my bike at some point and maybe do a few laps but I just don't know. 'I'm just happy to be alive' - Tai Woffinden wells up and admits he may need further operations after terrifying crash 9 Woffinden spent days in a medically-induced coma 'I've got a goal in my head to be back as fast as I can but that's just something I need to chase, to focus on and give me that drive. The reality is I don't know what's next for me.' Woffinden was due to get further MRI scan tests back at the start of the week which will clarify whether he needs another operation on the humerus in his arm. He also revealed horrifying details of how he came out of a coma and having to deal with hallucinations. He added: 'I was like a psycho when I woke up. I looked like an 80-year-old crackhead with a nice set of teeth! 'Basically because I was angry and scared because of the strong drugs I was hallucinating like crazy. 'I was like moving around. I wanted to walk, stand-up, I wanted to get comfortable. 'There was one time they put mittens on my hands and tied my hands and legs so I couldn't kick, move or roll around. 'Because I was moving so much and the amount of injuries I had. They said to Faye if he doesn't calm down, we'll put him back in a coma. Thankfully I stopped. 9 He is ahead of schedule in his rehab 'They noticed when Faye was by my side, I was really relaxed, I'd calm down and she'd talk to me and I'd listen.' There was also the terrifying feeling of reading back on the tributes while he was fighting for his life. He continued: 'We've had so much support from the people we are close to but also fans. To hear stadiums like Wroclaw, Torun and others all cheering my name. I looked like an 80-year-old crackhead with a nice set of teeth Woffinden 'I went back on my socials and was looking back on all the stuff. 'I woke up from the coma and looked back on my socials. 'I got to see what it looked like if I was dead. It was really weird, a really strange feeling. 'When I was in a coma no one really knew what was going on. All the messages, it was wild. 'Rehab has been full gas and here we are now.' 9 The speedway icon suffered multiple fractures after a horror crash While his recuperation is remarkably rapid, Woffinden has turned his full attention to his music career which has been building steadily in his spare time over the past few years. But it's certainly set to take a massive leap in success. He added: 'Using a speedway analogy to describe where I am in dance music, I'm probably in the National Development League. But now I've teamed up with Tomasz Gollob. 'On Friday we release a big collaboration with an artist called Oliver Heldens. 'He's a Dutch DJ, kind of house, trance, techno DJ, who's a household name in dance music. 'When Man City won their last Premiership title, he was the DJ on their bus taking them around Manchester doing the music. 9 Jack Grealish with DJ Oliver Heldens 'He's been teaching Jack Grealish how to DJ and stuff. He's a pretty big deal. So we basically made a track. 'The Orange Theme is out on Friday. It's actually a derivative of a symphonic track from the 1600s. 'It's actually been covered a few times. So most famously it features in the film A Clockwork Orange, it's part of the theme tune. 'And in dance music terms, the biggest version was in the late 90s. Again, it was called The Orange Theme by a group called Cygnus X. 'This is going to be big. Can't wait to get it out there.' 9 Woffinden is Britain's most successful speedway rider of all-time
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Tai Woffinden: Speedway champion admits he might not race again
Three-time speedway world champion Tai Woffinden has admitted he "does not know" if he will return to the 34-year-old, from Scunthorpe, was placed into a medically-induced coma after a serious crash in Poland in sat down with his wife Faye to discuss the crash on his Youtube channel and admitted he did not know "what the plan is moving forward" or "if I'm going ride again"."I feel like I'd like to sit on my bike at some point and maybe do a few laps but I just don't know," he said. The crash, on 30 March, happened when Woffinden collided with a teammate and hit a fence behind a protective left him with a double break in his right leg, a broken back, broken shoulder, multiple broken ribs, a punctured lung, fractured arm and extensive blood said: "I was sliding along the track and I knew it was going to hurt. I heard my femur snap. I couldn't see either of my hands because my arm was broken."I was completely conscious through everything that happened and remember everything from the crash. I was in the helicopter being airlifted to hospital and that's when I passed out."Woffinden, who is the country's most decorated rider after winning Grand Prix world titles in 2013, 2015 and 2018, said he was unsure if he would ride said: "I've got a goal in my head to be back as fast as I can but that's just something I need to chase, to focus on and give me that drive."The reality is I don't know what's next for me." Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Daily Mail
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Speedway legend Tai Woffinden fights back tears as he admits he's 'lucky to be alive' following horror crash that left him in a coma
Three-time world speedway champion Tai Woffinden has opened up on his recovery process after suffering a crash that left him fighting for his life in a coma. The 34-year-old, regarded as Britain's most successful rider in the sport, is now walking again following the catastrophic incident during a race in Krosno, Poland, in March. Woffinden suffered more than 15 broken bones — including a double compound femur fracture, shattered humerus, 12 broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder — after being thrown into the air fence at high speed. He was airlifted to hospital and placed in a medically induced coma after undergoing multiple major surgeries. Woffinden, who has represented Great Britain at the highest level for more than a decade, was in attendance at the British Speedway Grand Prix at Belle Vue in Manchester over the weekend. When asked how he is feeling, three months on from the incident, he said: 'Like a broken 80-year-old man. 'But look, the last seven weeks have been really tough - a lot of rehab, four-five hours a day Monday to Friday, you get the weekends off - now I'm back in the gym with Kirk in the UK. 'Was at the gym this morning and yesterday and we're planning on staying here in England for a little bit longer and then focus on the gym work now rather than the rehab.' Woffinden then admitted he may require further surgery as a result of his injuries. He continued: 'I got another scan at the end of the month which will determine if I need a second operation on my arm - my right humerus. Fingers crossed I don't, but if I do, I do and yeah we'll just deal with it. 'It's a mindset, you know. At a young age I got my black belt in martial arts in Australia, the second youngest. And I transferred over to Speedway and then won my world championships. 'Everything I do I put 110 per cent into and rehab and recovering from broken bones I have the same mindset and we just get after it.' The Scunthorpe-born speedster went on to address his potential return to Speedway. When asked if a comeback in the near future would be too soon, he conceded: 'Yeah,' before explaining that he misses riding his bike, rather than racing specifically. Woffinden then fought back tears as he simply admitted he is grateful to still be alive. He added: 'It was a tough one you know, I woke up from the coma and was like I'm done, I don't want to deal with this again. 'And some days go by and I'm like, yeah I fancy having a ride, maybe not racing but maybe ride my bike again. 'It's way too soon. I don't know what my future has to hold and I'm just happy to be alive.'
Daily Mail
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Speedway champion Tai Woffinden reveals heartbreaking final thing he heard before passing out as he breaks his silence on horror crash that left him with more than FIFTEEN broken bones
Three-time world speedway champion Tai Woffinden has revealed the haunting memories that have stayed with him from the crash that left him fighting for his life in a coma. The 34-year-old, regarded as Britain's most successful rider in the sport, is now in the early stages of a remarkable recovery following a catastrophic crash during a race in Krosno, Poland, in March. Woffinden suffered more than 15 broken bones — including a double compound femur fracture, shattered humerus, 12 broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder — after being thrown into the air fence at high speed. He was airlifted to hospital and placed in a medically induced coma after undergoing multiple major surgeries. Speaking for the first time since the accident, Woffinden recounted in chilling detail the moment of impact and the emotional reactions of those first on the scene. 'I remember everything,' he said. 'In the race that I crashed I made a pretty decent start, so I blipped the throttle a little bit coming into the corner. 'The junior rider off gate one drove over the kerb, ran into the guy that was off gate two, who then collected me. 'As I got collected, you drop it on the side and slide towards the fence. My bike hit the APD (airfence) first, which lifted it up probably about a metre. 'And the moment I saw that lift, I just went, "oh f***". And then I hit the fence, I heard my femur snap. 'It's almost like if you're underwater and you snap a tree branch.' As he lay motionless on the track, Woffinden realised the severity of his injuries not from pain, but from the looks of horror around him. He recalled: 'I remember looking up and seeing everybody around me. The team manager's face looked like he had seen a ghost. 'One person was crying looking at my body. My arms were pointing all in the wrong direction. My left shoulder was dislocated, pointing upwards. 'My right humerus was shattered at the bottom. My elbow was dislocated and my elbow was broken. 'I actually couldn't see my hands when I was laying on the track because they were both pointing up.' Woffinden, who has represented Great Britain at the highest level for more than a decade, described how he begged for pain relief in broken Polish as medics worked to stabilise him. 'I'm sat there saying, "give me some meds". I was saying "bol, bol, bol" which means pain in Polish just to make sure they knew what I was talking about.' In a moment that brings fresh weight to the trauma he endured, Woffinden also revealed the last sound he remembers before everything went black — the roar of the helicopter blades as he was flown to hospital. 'I remember the blades of the helicopter, the noise of it starting to take off. And then the next thing, I'm in a coma.' Far from being peaceful, the coma experience was deeply disturbing. 'I thought a coma would have been a pleasant sleep. It was quite the opposite. It was quite scary at times. I was on sedatives and painkillers and antibiotics. 'I was hallucinating, I was dreaming and having nightmares. Normally you have a nightmare and you wake up. Well, I couldn't wake up. 'I dealt with some wild s***. I woke up from the coma, and everything that I'd dreamt, I believed it was real. And my wife Faye was like, "mate, that didn't happen". I was getting angry with Faye because she wasn't believing me.' Now in intensive rehab, Woffinden has made extraordinary strides and is reportedly eight weeks ahead of schedule. He is not yet making decisions about his return to racing, with his sole focus on recovering from injuries that doctors described as life-threatening. 'There's so many variables. We need to give it that extra month to heal and then have the CT scan so we can really see what's going on from all different angles,' he said. 'I might need another operation on my humerus in my arm because it was shattered in 27 places. If the metalwork hasn't helped it knit together, I'll need another op. 'I've done everything I possibly can. I've done four to five hours a day in rehab since I left the hospital. My progress is on another level. 'It's ridiculous. Where I'm at given the injuries is f*****g phenomenal. 'I would like to ride my bike again, whether that's competitive or not or just practice, who knows?
Scottish Sun
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
‘I heard it snap' – Speedway star Tai Woffinden opens up on life-threatening crash and coma that was ‘worst thing ever'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LYING on the track in a tangled mess, Tai Woffinden admits the last thing he remembers is people crying at the extent of his injuries. The five-times world champion blacked out minutes after the horror crash where he sustained over 15 BROKEN BONES following a high-speed pile-up in Krosno, Poland in late March. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Tai Woffinden spent days in a medically induced coma 4 He is ahead of schedule in his rebah 4 The Speedway icon broke 15 bones in a horror crash Credit: Taylor Lanning 4 His partner Faye rushed to Poland to be by his side in hospital Great Britain ace Woffy, 34, was given an emergency helicopter airlift to hospital as fears grew over his survival because of chest injuries and a huge loss of blood. He was then put in a medically induced coma after three lengthy major operations. But two months after fighting for his life, Woffinden is now walking and eight weeks ahead in his gruelling recovery plan in rehab. In his first interview since the incident, he reveals how he heard the femur bone in his leg snap on impact and that the first people on the scene were in tears on seeing his condition because his arms were 'pointing in the wrong direction'. READ MORE IN SPORT VA VA ROOM Hilton unveil £1,800-a-night McLaren hotel suite with F1 simulator and bar He admitted: 'I remember everything. In the race that I crashed I made a pretty decent start, so I blipped the throttle a little bit coming into the corner. 'The junior rider off gate one drove over the kerb, ran into the guy that was off gate two, who then collected me. 'As I got collected, as you normally do, you drop it on the side and slide towards the fence. And then while sliding across the track, my bike hit the APD (airfence) first, which lifted it up probably about a metre. 'And the moment I saw that lift, I just went, 'oh f***'. And then I hit the fence, I heard my femur snap. 'It's almost like if you're underwater and you snap a tree branch. 'I then was laid on the track. I remember looking up and seeing everybody around me. The team manager's face looked like he had seen a ghost. Tai Woffinden walks for first time after coma as Speedway star reveals horror list of injuries after terrifying crash 'One person was crying looking at my body. My arms were pointing all in the wrong direction. My left shoulder was dislocated, pointing upwards. 'My right humerus was shattered at the bottom. My elbow was dislocated and my elbow was broken. 'I actually couldn't see my hands when I was laying on the track because they were both pointing up. 'So I'm sat there saying, 'give me some meds'. I was saying 'bol, bol, bol' which means pain in Polish just to make sure they knew what I was talking about. 'I don't know if I passed out from the amount of Fentanyl they'd given me or the amount of blood that I'd lost.' Woffinden, Britain's greatest-ever rider, had a double compound right femur fracture, broken back, right humerus compound fracture, dislocated and smashed right elbow, 12 broken ribs,punctured lung, left broken shoulder blade and dislocated left shoulder. He added: 'I remember the blades of the helicopter, the noise of it starting to take off. And then the next thing, I'm in a coma. 'There were so many injuries, I probably wouldn't have been able to be awake and deal with the injuries. One of the operations was 12 hours long and I had multiple blood transfusions. 'I thought a coma would have been a pleasant sleep. It was quite the opposite. It was the worst thing I'd ever experienced. It was quite scary at times. I was on sedatives and painkillers and antibiotics. 'I was hallucinating, I was dreaming and having nightmares. Normally you have a nightmare and you wake up. Well, I couldn't wake up. 'I dealt with some wild s***. I woke up from the coma, and everything that I'd dreamt, I believed it was real. And my wife Faye was like, 'mate, that didn't happen'. I was getting angry with Faye because she wasn't believing me.' Woffinden refused to be drawn on what the future holds in speedway, his only focus is on full recovery from the huge toll of injuries. He added: 'There's so many variables. We need to give it that extra month to heal and then have the CT scan so we can really see what's going on from all different angles. 'I might need another operation on my humerus in my arm because it was shattered in 27 places. If the metalwork hasn't helped it knit together, I'll need another op. 'I've done everything I possibly can. I've done four to five hours a day in rehab since I left the hospital. My progress is on another level. 'It's ridiculous. Where I'm at given the injuries is f*****g phenomenal. 'I would like to ride my bike again, whether that's competitive or not or just practice, who knows? 'But I just make micro personal goals to keep reaching. Only my recovery comes first.'
