Wednesday 24th September 2025 saw the launch of the first-ever YAA Podcast, ‘Summat in t’Air’, and this week we bring you Episode 2 – The touching story of Anth and his family’s journey following a motorbike accident. Listen to the podcast below, and find the readable version just underneath.
In 2025, Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) continues to save lives across the region, responding to emergencies with speed and expertise. Anth’s story is a remarkable example of the charity’s impact – a motorbike crash that could have ended his life instead became the start of a journey of recovery, gratitude, and now, the extraordinary gift of donating a kidney to his son, Teddy.
“I’ve Loved Bikes Since I was 14”
Anth’s passion for motorbikes began in his teens.
“There’s no other feeling like going around a corner at 120 miles an hour with your knee on the deck.” – Anth
“I had a trials bike off-road when I was 14,” he recalls. By 17, he was fully immersed in the sport, eventually taking a specially specced track bike to race days.
Sue remembers those early days with fond amusement. “At first, I was okay with it because he was doing it before I met him. It was a good atmosphere, all the friends he knows, and the camaraderie,” she says. While she didn’t ride herself, she enjoyed being part of the scene – though she admits with a laugh, “I didn’t really have a choice. It was what he was into.”
Even the friends and partners of other riders quickly became part of the community. “All the wives and girlfriends go along now,” Sue says. “It was fine. Fun, really. You couldn’t help but get swept up in it.”
The Crash That Changed Everything
Race day started like any other. Anth set up his bike, warmed the tyres, and headed out for practice. The first race went smoothly, but the second would be unforgettable.
“I was probably doing about 100 miles an hour into an S-bend,” Anth remembers. “I thought, ‘I’m going too fast here.’ I drifted out, but it was matched with hay bales on the outside. I hit them at about 100 miles an hour.”
The crash was violent. Anth cartwheeled through the air, the bike flipping alongside him. “Some friends later said they couldn’t tell which was me and which was the bike,” he says. Despite the chaos, he remained conscious.
“I just laid back down. I could take my gloves off and I started to take my helmet off. Then all of a sudden there were these people coming towards me saying, ‘No, no, no.’ And I thought, ‘Oh, this is pretty serious, this.’ At the time there wasn’t any pain – then there were hands all over me and everything.
“The next thing I remember is hearing the noise of the helicopter. I could just turn my head to see it, and I saw the guys running towards me. That’s when it set in – this is pretty serious. They came and basically said, ‘We can’t get you in the helicopter with your legs like that. We need to straighten your legs.’ And I was in absolute agony.
“One of the strange things I do remember is it was as if I wasn’t there, because I almost felt like I was stood at the side watching everything that was going on. That’s a strange, strange thing.” – Anth
The Yorkshire Air Ambulance crew quickly stabilised him before airlifting him to hospital.
Life-Threatening Injuries
Anth’s injuries were extensive: a left femur in three pieces, a dislocated right hip with damage to the ball, compressed vertebrae, fractured ribs, and a broken shoulder, among others. “Talking about it helps you process it,” he says. “You can’t keep these things in.”
Sue remembers hearing the news while running errands. “I had about five missed calls on my mobile,” she says. “I thought, ‘Oh, he’s broken his arm.’ Then I found out he’d gone off in the air ambulance. That’s when I knew it was serious.”
Recovery, Reflection, and Humour
Months after the accident, Anth and Sue returned to meet Lee, one of the crew who saved his life. “It’s humbling,” Anth says. “Meeting someone who has effectively saved your life is something I’ll never forget.”
While Anth’s racing days are over, his love for the sport hasn’t faded.
“But my own racing days are behind me. The handbrake sorted that out.” – Anth
“I love watching the professionals – the speed, the closeness, the adrenaline. It’s incredible,” he adds.
Sue chimes in with a grin:
“Watching him race now? Much safer than being on the road with him! The smells of rubber and exhaust fumes – that’s as close as I want to get to him flying around a track again.” – Sue
A New Chapter: Teddy and the Gift of Life
Anth and Sue’s son, Teddy, born in 2013, is a spirited child with a love for motorbikes like his father. But in 2022, Teddy developed kidney problems. After medical consultations and hospital visits, it became clear he would need a transplant.
In a remarkable twist, Anth is now preparing to become a lifesaver in another way — donating a kidney to Teddy.
“It’s incredible to think. The Yorkshire Air Ambulance saved my life, and now I have the chance to save my son’s.” – Anth
“It’s full circle, isn’t it? From the day that could have been a tragedy to now giving Teddy a new lease of life” – Sue
Looking Back and Looking Forward
Anth’s story is a testament to the impact of emergency care and the ongoing mission of Yorkshire Air Ambulance. From a life-threatening crash to giving life to his child, Anth has experienced the full circle of care, courage, and compassion.
“The crew who rescued me changed my life. I’ll never forget it. Now, I get the chance to change someone else’s.” – Anth
