Learning To Let It Be

Molly Weaver describes how she is regaining her love of cycling following a devastating accident and subsequent mental health issues

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I first stepped on a bike at the age of 16, and for the next eight years it became the guiding force in my life. Aside from the usual ups and downs of elite sport, I had a seamless journey through the ranks. I spent a few years in the British peloton, progressing through junior racing and on to the elite scene before scoring my first UCI contract and heading to Europe permanently. Going into my third year on Team Sunweb, I was stronger than ever and so was the team. It was shaping up to be an amazing season, but then last year I was involved in a crash. Everything changed in an instant.

The force of the car hitting me broke my back in five places. It also broke my neck, sternum, shoulder and four ribs. My kidney was torn and I suffered a concussion. Although lifechanging, these injuries were observable, measurable and would soon begin healing; the mental scars would take longer to show themselves.