Lewis Kerr finds it easy to compartmentalise the toughest days of his life. Whilst he was fighting for his life, first on the Peterborough track, then in hospital, he was blissfully unaware of what was happening.
The speedway world collectively held its breath after Kerr was saved on the track by paramedic Jason Gillingham after a horrific crash sent him hurtling head first into a metal gate. He was airlifted to Addenbrooke's Hospital, where he was placed in a medically induced coma for three days before regaining consciousness and breathing on his own.
During those torturous hours, his family including wife Jessie, who was five months pregnant, were told to be prepared for the worst. Yet this weekend, after a miraculous and inspiring comeback, Kerr hosts his testimonial to mark 11 years and counting in the sport.
“I can’t remember that period of my life, so it’s strange,” Kerr admits. “But when we get onto the subject of it, it’s pretty unbelievable when I think of what actually happened, I forget some of the things I went through.
“When it happened they didn’t know whether I was going to pull through, or whether I was going to be severely disabled. They didn’t know at the time and they did warn Jessie of the worst scenarios.”
The days and weeks that followed Kerr’s accident were a tough slog as he had to re-learn the most basic of tasks and teach his body how to function again.
“I just remember being so confused,” he reflects. “I couldn’t read anything, I had to pretty much learn to walk again, and just day to day things were just a real struggle.
“It’s so long ago now it’s hard to remember how hard it was, but the simple things were so difficult. Just little things like using a knife and fork, I had to think so much about what I was doing. Not remembering where I was living at the time wasn’t very nice either.”
At that stage, few could have even contemplated Kerr returning to the sport which almost cost him his life. But just seven months later, he was back on a 500cc bike with no brakes, sliding around without a care in the world.
“A lot of people were saying I’d never be what I was or I was never going to ride again,” he recalls. “But I think that just gave me more determination. Now we’ve just ended the season a few years later better than I’ve ever been, so I’m happy I was able to prove people wrong.
“I was back on the bike that February and it happened in early August,” he recalls. “It wasn’t that long really from when it happened, and I’ve got no side effects now so it was really fortunate.”
This weekend, Kerr will mark a milestone few - including himself - thought he would ever reach as he hosts his testimonial at home town club, King’s Lynn. Some of the most well-respected riders in the sport will flock to Norfolk in a sign of how the 31-year-old is held in high esteem in the tight-knit sport.
Kerr never dreamt of being a speedway rider. Instead, he grew up riding motocross before trying out someone else’s bike in late 2009.
“I was pretty much hooked straight away,” he says. “We ended up selling all the motocross gear, got myself an old bike and it just took off. I was addicted straight away.”
“I can’t really believe how quick it’s gone. I didn’t really think about a testimonial until King’s Lynn said I was eligible for one. It should’ve been last year actually, but because of the pandemic it’s an 11th year testimonial. I never thought I’d get to this point.”
It would have been quite easy and understandable for Kerr to step away from the sport after his huge crash in 2015 and the torment that followed. But, with no recollection of it, he never considered stepping away.
His only moment of self-doubt came towards the end of his comeback season when he broke both his legs and was left in a wheelchair as both legs were in full plaster for 16 weeks. Despite the painful moments that have followed, wife Jessie remains his biggest supporter and has never tried to pressure him to give up on his passion.
“You know what, Jessie has never once said to pack it in,” he says. “She’s my biggest supporter. After the first accident, it never came into my head to stop, the only time it did cross my mind was after the double leg break when I just couldn’t believe it had happened again.
“That one was really tough. It wasn’t very long after the first crash, and it wasn’t my fault again. Both those big crashes I’d had, neither were my fault and you start thinking, ‘why is this happening to me?’
“That was difficult just because I was in a wheelchair, I couldn’t get around, had both legs in plaster. It was quite a bad leg break, one of them especially, so it was really tough. Just to deal, mentally, with having another big accident was really hard.
“But that (thinking about quitting) was literally for a day, maybe, then I knew I wanted to carry on. I just keep going, keep plodding on, and I’m fortunate to have that support from my family, because I know they’ve been through a lot.”
Now 31, Kerr hopes his testimonial will kick-start the best year of his career having ended the last campaign in fine form. Winning a league title, either in the top flight with King’s Lynn or in the second tier with Redcar, remains a burning ambition.
He says: “I feel like I’ve been getting back to my peak, then had a bad injury, back to my peak, bad injury then we had COVID, but the season just gone I improved in both leagues and the end of the season I was definitely been in the best form I’ve ever been in during my career. I think if I can carry that on into this season, hopefully I can take the next step.”
Whether or not Kerr ends the season lifting the silverware he craves, it is hard to argue that by getting to this point, he is one of the sport’s winners and it is hard to begrudge him his day of celebration this weekend.
“It probably will be quite emotional,” he says. “With what we’ve been through and everything, I think on the day it’ll probably hit home for me and Jessie that all those fans are there to support me. I’m fitter and stronger than ever nowadays and just glad I could keep racing.”
Lewis Kerr's Testimonial takes place at the Adrian Flux Arena in King's Lynn on Sunday, March 20 (4pm). More details can be found here.
