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Student Overcomes Head Injury to Become State-Ranked Mountain Biker
Doctors said Lucas Rowton would not fully recover from a bike accident. He proved them wrong.
- Whiz Kid's Name/Age: Lucas Rowton, Age 15
- Whiz Kid's School: .
- Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Rowton recently competed in the National Interscholastic High School Cycling Association Finals in Los Olivos, CA. Part of a team of mountain bikers from CV High, Rowton placed 7th in the state and 4th in Southern California. This is an accomplishment unto itself. But keep in mind, Rowton might have easily avoided bicycles altogether after a serious accident 2 years ago.
- Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: “It was January 27, 2009. I was in 8th grade,” recalled Rowton. “I was fooling around with my friends and fell off my bike onto my head. Luckily I had my helmet on.” Rowton lost consciousness. Thanks to the quick thinking of his friends, he was taken to the hospital where he remained unconscious for a terrifying three days. “The brain contusion and subsequent swelling prompted doctors to say he’d be lucky to get 80% of his brain capacity back, and that competitive sports were out of the question,” said his mother Susan Rowton. She credits his remarkable recovery to nutrient-rich foods and Lucas’s determination to be healthy. Within a few months, he was back on his bike and flourishing at school. “By August,” said his mom, “Lucas was in football pads playing quarterback for the CV Falcons’ freshman team.”
- Bonus Whiz Kid Info: He believes mountain biking will always be a part of his life. “It’s just fun,” says Rowton. But he has words of wisdom to kids everywhere, “Always wear a helmet.”