PALA, Calif. (KGTV) -- Flying high through the air, racing up steep hills, taking tight crowded turns, basically getting dusty and dirty, motocross is certainly a tough sport.
You can also add injuries to that list, just ask El Cajon native Christian Craig, who has experienced his share of injuries during his career: some minor and others very serious.
"I've had multiple broken legs, broken wrists, and a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Just little stuff that takes you off the bike for six weeks and it does get frustrating," Craig said.
Back in 2013, Craig suffered a broken back which led to his retirement. Although you might call it a brief retirement.
"I felt that it was so hard to recover from, that I had to step away for a little bit," he said. "I took two years off and I wasn't planning on coming back, but I still had that fire burning in me that I had to prove something to myself, and the belief that I could win."
After two years off the bike, he returned to the sport he loves in 2016, and this year, he was competing for a 250SX East Region Championship, when he was injured last month while riding in a practice session at a race in Salt Lake City.
"It wasn't that bad of a crash, as I almost got away with just sliding down the landing. Unfortunately, I got unlucky with rolling my leg right under me, and I broke my fibula and sprained the ankle pretty bad. It sucked but it is part of the sport," said Craig.
But call it simply amazing, as less than a month after surgery to repair a broken fibula, Craig got back on his motorcycle and is competing this week at Fox Raceway in Pala.
"I was back on the bike in 17 days which is pretty crazy. I'm never scared to get back on the bike, it's more just getting my confidence right. I'm still progressing every year and I've put myself in good position. I'm just having fun at what I love to do. I love racing dirt bikes and I'm going to do this as long as I can," Craig said.
