Man Survives Polio, Dog Attack, and Major Fall to Compete in the Arkansas Senior Olympics
Sam Avery Sr. Survived Polio and Dog Attacks to Place in the Arkansas Senior Olympics
Photo Credit: David P. Lewis/ShutterShock
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October 26, 2010Sam Avery Sr., age 63, was riding his bicycle one April morning when he was rushed by five dogs and suffered a severe fall.During his regular bike route through Atkins, Arkansas, Avery was rushed by a group of five medium- to small-sized dogs. “I was used to them chasing me when I rode down the road there,” Avery told The Courier News. "But they started biting at me, and I couldn’t get past them."When he was rushed by the dogs, he tried to stop, but hitting the bake caused the bike’s front tire to stop immediately, and Avery was thrown over the handlebars onto the pavement — head first."I landed on the (left) side of my head," he said. "I don’t think I woke up until we were going in(side) at the hospital. I had a (severe) concussion, I fractured my cheekbone and I fractured my first and second vertebrae."Avery, who also suffered from polio as a child, said, "The doctors wanted to do surgery, but I already had my fourth, fifth and sixth vertebrae fused and, being a forklift operator, I needed to be able to turn my head."But just five months later, Avery entered the Arkansas Senior Olympics in September. He not only competed, he earned silver medals in the 40K road race and the 10K time trial, and bronze medals in the 20K road race and 5K time trial."Nobody really believed me when I told them," Avery said. And as early as August, Avery was back on his bike and back on the road -- though he is riding along a new route now.
