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Injured IndyCar driver Robert Wickens’s latest social media update on his recovery shows him progressing with gait training – the process of learning to walk again.
The Canadian, who suffered a spinal cord injury in a 200mph-plus shunt at Pocono Raceway in August, posted a video to Instagram and Twitter.
In it, he turns to the camera and says: “I’m drinking coffee because the caffeine raises your blood pressure, and when I stand up my blood pressure will drop and I might faint.”
One step closer. #spinalcordinjury #gaittraining pic.twitter.com/KzUlNI9c4W
— Robert Wickens (@robertwickens) November 20, 2018
Wickens is then seen with underarm straps attached to an overhead hoist on rails, similar to a baby jumper, with further straps attached to his thighs.
He is then able to walk with the aid of physiotherapists who help him coordinate his forward foot movements.
Wickens had earlier expressed his support for injured Formula 3 racer Sophia Florsch, who also suffered a spinal injury in her high-speed accident in Macau last weekend.
Having sent his “sincere thoughts” to Florsch and her family and urged her to “stay strong” and “fight the fight” in a tweet after the crash, he then described the outcome of her surgery as “incredible news”.
Wickens added: “You’re a strong one Sophia! I saw it first hand at our fitness camps!”