After a third ACL injury an open Chance Hymas has revealed why he has temporarily left the Lawrence compound and managed to come back to racing with an impressive podium at A1 straight off a devastating third ACL injury.
Hymas told us: “That was my third one in a row, I’ve done one each year, so I did two on my left and then I just did my right one. So yeah, I mean, it’s disappointing, it’s hard to find an exact word for it, but it just mentally destroys you. And I felt like my career was honestly over and I didn’t want to do it anymore. I just had gone through so much at that point and I’m only 20 years old, so it’s like, I feel like I haven’t really got started and I’ve already been knocked down so many times. But I’m a fighter, I’m going to keep fighting and that’s, unfortunately, it’s part of the sport and my story is a little bit different than others.
“So just for me, I just wanted to stay with it. And as mad as I was at the sport or myself or no matter what, just staying at it and keeping my head down by my chin up and just keep working. I came into this year and I was going to kind of have a little bit of a toss up and see what was going to happen. But I wanted to race West Coast and that was my goal. So I’m doing everything I possibly can and when I go into the first round and the result is what it’s going to be what it is.Â
“And honestly, like I said, I expected myself to podium and it wasn’t a surprise that I put into myself at all. But like I said, you never really quite know where you’re going to stack up, especially after everything that had happened with me. So like I said, it was a rewarding feeling and a lot went into it. But it still went through a lot of dark times to get back to just that, you know.”
On leaving the Lawrence compound Hymas explained: “I’m not fully moved away. I just wanted to ride some West Coast stuff and kind of get back with some family. And I needed a little bit of a change for me just mentally. After going through everything, I’ve gone through it. I just needed a little bit change of scenery and kind of get out of that grind down there. For me, I just wanted to be closer to my family and it’s hard being clear across the country for my family and especially hard times like that. So ultimately for me, I could work more with my dad being a Mesquite and it gave me the opportunity to kind of just do my own thing. Honestly, just enjoy it again. I had lost the love for it and the care for it and I wanted to make the change and just give me something that I can enjoy again. So it was a really good challenge.Â
“I mean, it put a lot of pressure on my back and it kind of caught some sparks.But at the same time, I didn’t care. I wanted to do what I thought was best for me. And ultimately, I feel like that result last weekend was a big factor in it. It’s just not that I’m going to go there and set the world on fire and completely change how I’m riding, but just ultimately my mood swings. I’m a lot happier. I feel like being closer to my family and having that support close to me again. So that was ultimately the biggest factor of it. And I feel like you can make anything work wherever you’re riding, but also you’ve got to be happy doing what you’re doing. And like I said, after everything I’d gone through, I just needed a little bit of a change and just a little bit of step away.”
Get the full interview below:
