Miracle Comeback By Adelaide Karter

AKA press release

South Australian Simon Layne believes that ensuring he was fit enough to be competitive in a go-kart is what has kept him alive.

In April the 43-year-old was competing in a karting event at the Bolivar Raceway when he began to feel light headed and then had the sensation as if someone had parked a trailer on his chest.

Twelve hours, five cardiac arrests and the insertion of a stent later, he woke up to the sight of two cardiologists, three family members and his partner Lorna in the intensive care unit at the Lyell McEwin Hospital.

“I was due to start on pole position for the final race in the Festival State Cup round and instead of suiting up I was getting suited down in the back of an ambulance on my way to hospital – in a hurry,” said Layne, the SA & NT State Manager for Liberty Oil.

“The first thing I said to when I woke up the next day was - I hope you didn’t cut my race suit off me and I can still use it, can’t I?”

Layne left hospital three days after his ordeal before getting back behind the wheel of a go-kart a mere three weeks later, in the meantime he had proposed to Lorna as well.

Above: The 43-year old on his way to a win at Whyalla
all pics - www.photowagon.com.au

Karting is a passion for Layne, one in which he describes is the thing he loves the most in life – with the exception of his new fiancé and their two daughters Jasmin and Teagan.

“During my rehabilitation, which consisted of a couple of weeks, I was placed on a restricted road licence for a couple of weeks and shortly after I was also back on the racetrack,” said Layne.

“Also during this time I proposed to Lorna, she has stuck around me through thick and thin. It was time to show her how much she meant to me.”

Layne credits his ability to not only survive but to also recover so quickly from his near death experience to his high level of fitness.

“Over the past 18 months I have lost 15 kilograms while getting fit, mainly so I could be more competitive on the kart track, if I didn’t do that I probably would have seen some pearly gates or some little red guy running around with a pitchfork,” said Layne.

“Sometimes I’m racing against guys who are almost half my age, so to keep up with – and hopefully beat – them I’ve got to maintain my fitness and right now I’m grateful that I am as healthy as I am.

“Following the scare I feel like I’ve got a new lease on life.”

A new lease on life is certainly what he has got.

Two weeks ago Layne contested two categories in the South Australian Closed State Karting Championships in Whyalla – 100cc Clubman Over 40’s and 125cc Leopard Heavy.

If it wasn’t enough for Layne to just be back behind the wheel competing, he finished as the Champion in the Over 40’s category and runner-up to Rowan Booth, 27 years Layne’s junior, in the 125cc class.

What’s almost as impressive is the fact that despite his near death experience Layne says he has no inkling to slow down. He was racing again last weekend, at the Bolivar Raceway – the previous time he was there he left in the back of an Ambulance, last weekend he left with the spoils of victory in the Clubman Over 40s division.

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