Personal Profile: Mitch Tripney

A recent severe motor cross accident has changed Mitch Tripney’s life dramatically, but his outlook remains as positive as ever.

LIFE CAN CHANGE UNEXPECTEDLY

If you have ever met Mitch Tripney you would know his extremely positive outlook on life is rare. But even more so after surviving a traumatic life-changing event in the form of an acute motor cross accident in February 2023.

The start of his year looked much different to where he is now. Placing him in a different set of wheels, Mitch has lost the mobility of his legs and spine, and now uses a wheelchair “but not for too much longer,” he hopes.

A beloved father, partner, friend, brother and son, Mitch credits his life’s focus to his loving partner Alysha Kendall, and his (not so) newborn nearly 10-month-old son Ryott. “I don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t have Alysha or Ryott in my life. ”

Humble to the core Mitch describes his previous motor cross riding as ‘more of a hobby than a profession career.’

Although he recounts it as a “Career/Hobby”, Mitch has actually been riding motor cross bikes since the young age of six, and often travelled interstate to wow audiences with his dare devil skills.

More of an extreme stunt rider than entering into competitions, Mitch’s previous career highlights were Rodeo Shows in Darwin. He was also part of the South Australian Freestyle Motor Cross Championship.

“I rode motor cross, and free style motor cross and I was able to go and travel interstate doing freestyle shows and make some money through my riding here and there… I competed but mainly what I preferred to do was ride the demonstrations,” says Mitch.

“With extreme demonstrations, we would have ramps set up to either a dirt landing ramp, or a portable landing ramp. We would just jump from one end to the other in the air and try and make some form of acrobatic movement with the bikes,” He says.

A DAY HE WILL NEVER FORGET

Knowing fully that motor cross is a dangerous sport, Mitch has always prided himself on taking optimal safety measures, and knowing what his body and bike are capable of on the day.

Putting his body on the line, Mitch is not new to nursing some broken bones or two. He explains, “I actually had a bone scan the other day and the doctor had asked me to list some injuries.

“I said alright I’ll start at my skull: I’ve had skull fractures, I’ve had a broken neck, broken back, and lots of broken ribs, broken shoulder, both arms broken multiple times, left tibia multiple times,” and the list goes on.

Before he met his partner Alysha, Mitch confesses he was an adrenalin junkie and a risk taker on his bike. However, looking back on the fateful day, Mitch felt like it was a perfect storm of events, from his bike choice to the angle he took on the jump.

He refuses to attribute the accident to any one thing in particular, but felt in his gut that the day didn’t feel quite right. “I got an opportunity to ride a freestyle show, and I wanted to be the cool dad, and try and ride in front of my son and so I took that opportunity.”

RECOVERY IS ABOUT HAVING A POSITIVE MINDSET

Mitch credits his remarkable recovery on Alysha’s dedication, “Prior to meeting Alysha I was pretty depressed and just kind of buried it,” he says. The love for his son Ryott fuels him to regain the mobility of his legs.

Without his family’s unwavering support he would not have the motivation he has to recover. The major accident caused Mitch to have “a burst fracture to my L1 Vertebra, and I shattered my sacrum – which I believe is the back of your pelvis and coccyx bone and inside my body I had a bunch of haematomas,” He describes.

Surprising his doctors and care team on the speed of his rehabilitation, specialists have said, “that I would potentially never walking ever again.” Such words pushed Mitch to set new health goals.

“The doctors knew I was in a bad way because I got helicoptered from Echuca to the Royal Melbourne Hospital straight away. And I was conscious the whole time.  ”

The future is what you make it, and Mitch’s future looks bright. With the support of his family, friends, and the love of his life Alysha and son Ryott nothing is impossible for Mitch.

“I feel like I had a choice when I was in the helicopter – I was literally having out of body experiences and watching myself with Alysha holding my hand. I thought you don’t have to be in this pain if you don’t want to. But I chose to ‘go to the left’ and push through,” Mitch continues.

“I told myself you have to do this for your family. And don’t back out and whatever comes from it you have to accept it. You have to own it, and you have to kick its ass.”

To learn more about Mitch Tripney’s Journey head over to Mitch’s Facebook Page, Instagram Page and his business Instagram Page Sircle Official.