Skateboarding star Tony Haw k has suffered a horrific leg break and fears he may never recover.
The 53-year-old uploaded a post to Instagram of him on crutches while at the hospital, as well as a picture of an X-ray showing his femur snapped in half.
It is not the first significant injury Hawk has experienced, but he has doubts about making a full recovery this time.
“Yesterday sucked. I broke my elbow 20 years ago and managed to make a full comeback; this recovery for a broken femur will be much harder because of its severity (and my age). But I’m up for the challenge,” he began.
“There is a strange irony that this happened on the eve of HBO releasing a trailer for “Until The Wheels Fall Off,” Sam Jones’ documentary about my life & career, which has a strong focus on the philosophy of how I/we do this at our age.
“The answer is complicated, but ultimately it’s because I have found my sense of purpose and shaped my identity through skating, and it nourishes my mental health immensely.”
The documentary Hawk mentioned will take a wide-ranging look at the extraordinary life and career of one of skateboarding’s pioneers.
The documentary features unprecedented access, never-before-seen footage, and interviews with Hawk, and prominent figures in the sport including Stacy Peralta, Rodney Mullen, Mike McGill, Lance Mountain, Steve Caballero, Neil Blender, Andy MacDonald, Duane Peters, Sean Mortimer, and Christian Hosoi.
The multi-time X Games champion has built a reputation for pushing the barriers and leaving fans in awe with his brilliance.
“I’ve said many times that I won’t stop skating until I am physically unable. A broken leg - with plenty of hardware - will probably be the biggest test of that creed,” the American admitted.
“I’ll be back… maybe not at full capacity but I resigned to that notion years ago as I approached 'mid-life.'
“Thanks to my unyieldingly supportive, tolerant family - and all of you - for the love and support through the years; I wouldn’t be here without you. See you on the other side.”
He received plenty of supportive message from his fans and peers, as professional skateboarder Steve Caballero said: "So good to see you walking with crutches bud.
"You are already on your way to healing and coming back from this, you scared us yesterday ma friend and I'm happy you are in good hands. God Bless and Love ya."
Fellow X-Games competitor Omar Hassan wrote: “You will be back in no time. Stay up Tony!”
While Thrasher magazine's 2012 "Skater of the Year” David Gonzalez wrote: “You got this Tony. Much love to the greatest @tonyhawk.”
The icon showed his resilience when performing a 900 trick - a two-and-a-half-time aerial spin - at the X Games V in 1999 after 10 failed attempts.
He went on to win 10 gold medals at the Games during his career, before retiring from active competition in 2003.
