2021 - Unforgettable
Merry Xmas and thank you for your support this year
To say that 2021 will be an unforgettable year is probably understating things, a lot
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas
And we look forward to what challenges 2022 has to offer
Special thanks goes to my amazing Wife Kirsten
only you can know how much you mean to me
Thanks to the team at MultiSure Insurance Brokers
For their extra help and support this year
We'd also like to thank each and every person
That has found our easytrucks services helpful, or useful
We really do appreciate your business
And look forward to catching up again soon
Here is a brief look at what 2021 has looked like from my perspective
Craig Silby - easytrucks
January 8th 2021
Our son Luke and I taking a break at the stunning Bike Glendhu mountain biking park,
Wanaka, Southern Lakes, New Zealand
It was going to be the last thing I remember doing, prior to a serious crash,
and the beginning of a very long and ongoing journey towards recovery
We had rented a couple of electric mountain bikes
And were having a great time doing the downhill jump trails, until...
I ran out of talent and crashed after badly landing a jump
Smashing myself into the ground very hard. Head first
The helmet was seriously damaged, but luckily stayed intact well enough to save my life
If I was not wearing the helmet I would not have survived the crash
But, other injury complications continue to this day
Something had punctured through my face,
and rammed a couple of teeth up into my upper jaw
I had multiple cuts and bruises, plus suspected cracked and severely bruised ribs
Also, we didn't find out until a couple of weeks afterwards,
once we were back in Auckland, that I also had a severe concussion,
ongoing shoulder pain, fractured fingers, and a fractured vertebrae in my spine
Also, little did we know at the time, but several injuries would still be an issue today
Almost a full year on from the crash
Some will be reminding me of that day at the beginning of 2021, for the rest of my life
One of the worst things,
Is that we did not know until several weeks afterwards that I had a serious concussion
Since the crash I've had ongoing fatigue issues. It's much like with infants or toddlers,
where they need to go to bed several times each day
I get to about 9:30 am each day and then totally run out of go
So, I have to go back to bed and recharge for around half an hour or so
Then an hour or two later, I have to go back to bed again to recharge
Since the crash this happens several times a day, each and every day
Frustrating to say the least
However, all is not lost
There have definitely been some positives and good things happen this year
The day after the crash back in January
The Doctor in Wanaka advised us to continue with our holiday. Yay!
Which in hindsight I'm very grateful for
Although, I'm not really sure how I managed to function during the trip
We got to visit some spectacular parts of our beautiful country
That cannot be done justice with photos, the scale and beauty is something to behold
After being back home in Auckland for a few months
And just as we started getting on top of some of the injuries,
We all got locked down ...again
Here in Auckland we've been in some form of lock down or sanctions,
for well over 100 days now, with no end in sight
So much for the short-sharp lock down that we were all told it will be, back in August
It's now late December 2021 and we're still under some level of sanction
And now the world has Omicron!
The heartache, disruption, and division that this virus has produced,
Not just locally but around the world,
Is most likely something that none of us living today will ever forget
But, there are always positives to be had and,
I for one will continue to keep trying to find them :)
To try and help keep me sane during the long recovery, and during lock down,
I got in to online sim-racing, using the iRacing simulated racing platform
As it turns out, it has also helped with retraining my brain after the concussion
The sim-rig provides an amazing level of immersion,
Live online sim-racing can feel very real indeed
I've been focusing on the official iRacing virtual Dirt Midget speedway racing series
This provides an International online racing points series, over 12 week seasons
Each week is at a different virtual version of a real life speedway track,
and you accumulate points across the series
There are also multiple leagues and hosted events that you can join or participate in
There are hundreds of drivers from around the world that enter the official iRacing series
The races are put up every 2 hours, to cater for all the different time zones
Drivers are ranked into divisions. I've proven good enough to be ranked in the top level,
Dirt Oval Division 1
Up against multi-car teams and setup shops that make a living from selling car setups,
I achieved two Midget car World Records in Season 3, and
I placed 4th overall in the points for iRacing Dirt Midget Cup Season 4, 2021
These are fantastic results considering I build and tune my own car setups
And, at the time I was not part of a team of elite drivers that train together,
which can accelerate your development and skills
I also taught myself to do my own car paints and graphics,
which many drivers and teams purchase from expert designers
2021 Season 3 iRacing Dirt Midget World Qualifying Record
at the virtual Knoxville Speedway
2021 Season 3 iRacing Dirt Midget World Race Record
at the virtual Cedar Lake Speedway
4th place overall, 2021 Season 4 official iRacing Dirt Midget Cup
Wheel stands can be fun but they're not the fastest way around the track ;) lol
I also gave V8 Non-Wing Sprintcars a go, which have far more power than the Midgets
I did really well, placing 1st overall in the Season 4 points series
1st place overall, 2021 official iRacing Season 4, USAC Non-Wing 360 Sprintcar series
Almost a year after the bike crash, we're still working on patching me up
In late December 2021, my right clavicle had the end cut off, to relieve some pain, and
to help me recover some strength and maneuverability in that shoulder
No more iRacing for awhile I guess, whilst the shoulder heals :(
Yay! I'm about to turn 50
Finally,
Boxing Day 2021 marks the completion of my 50th lap around the Sun
Lucky me ;) not everybody gets to make it to 50 years of age
I'm very proud of this, particularly considering
the crazy things I've done and gotten away with over the past 49 years
And how this year got started for me, with the bike crash nearly finishing me off early
So,
2021 started with a life changing event for myself and my family
And, thanks to the pandemic,
2021 has also become an unforgettable year for everyone else in the World
Merry Christmas
to you and your family
Thanks so much
for your support and your business
We look forward to seeing what 2022 will bring
