Tony Hawk wants to be able to walk “unaided” after seriously injuring his leg.
Tony Hawk wants to be able to walk independently after breaking his femur
The 53-year-old skateboarding legend snapped his femur - which has impeded his ability to walk without help - but has a new goal of being independent on two legs again after attempting a McTwist, which is a front flip with a 540 degree rotation.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Tony admitted his problem was that he had “very little speed and an unsteady grab” and smacked down onto the halfpipe.
He added: "I hit the wall sooner than expected in a half-squat position and it sent me straight to the flat onto my knees.
"The force of my body position upon impact broke my front leg as I came sliding to a stop."
Explaining further, Tony then had to “manoeuvre” his leg back into place before the ambulance eventually appeared on the scene, before whisking him to a emergency surgery.
After getting out hospital, he thinks that anything after being merely able to walk alone “will be a bonus”.
Tony said: “Whatever comes after that will be a bonus."
Tony - who has 29-year-old son Riley, 20-year-old son Keegan, 22-year-old son Spencer and 13-year-old daughter Kadence - shared the news of the accident on Wednesday (09.03.22) via Instagram with a snap of him in hospital room.
The video game icon - who is married to Catherine Goodman - wrote: “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."
Tony acknowledged how “there is a strange irony” he got injured just as HBO got ready to release the trailer to the upcoming documentary ‘Until The Wheels Fall Off’, all about his life, career and how he has managed to keep skateboarding for so long.
He said: "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.”
"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.
However, Tony promised that he will “be back” at whatever level he can perform at.
"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."
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