It's just over 100 days until the Tokyo Olympics and many of New Zealand's elite athletes still don't know if they're going or not.
One of those is Cole McOnie, a talented young BMX rider from Te Awamutu.
The 23-year-old’s last 12 months have been dominated by crashes which led to devastating injuries.
"I broke my jaw in three places, broke my eye socket, collapsed my lung, broke a couple of ribs, and broke one of my vertebrae,” McOnie said of one nasty crash.
"A month or two later I read a medical report that said 'patient had immediate threat to life’, it spooked me a bit I didn't realise I was quite that bad."
That was the first of three bad accidents in one year.
However, the bigger the falls the more determined the youngster is to succeed in his chosen sport.
"The Tokyo Olympics the number one goal, as of right now I’m doing everything I can to get there."
That means heading to Covid-19-ridden Europe to seek out races and results to boost his claim for Olympic selection.
"It’s going to be tough, and it’s not an ideal situation but I’m ready to do what it takes."
McOnie showed off his battle scars to Seven Sharp’s Michael Holland in the video above.
SHARE ME