“It takes a long time for your speed to go away,” said Kyle Peters as he recalled the moment that he decided to jump back on his Team Phoenix Racing Honda CRF250 last November following what many thought was a career ending injury.

Fast forward almost to the day he crashed in the whoops at the 2022 Monster Energy Supercross in St. Louis and Kyle now sits content knowing that the decision to return to the AMA Arenacross series where he had already won three consecutive National titles, was the right one. What makes him so sure? Well, it’s probably in knowing that with the 2023 series behind him, the North Carolina rider is now a four-time national champion!  

And as the newly minted 30-year-old thinks back to the torrid pace of recovery he endured, he knows full well that it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of his family, team and the hard work he put in with his trainer. “Honestly, after I got hurt my parents asked me to stop racing and start working in the family business, but once I made the decision to race again, they stood by my side just as they did when I was in the hospital. And Team Phoenix Racing owner David Eller had said he would support me no matter what I decided to do and since he loves the Arenacross series as much as I do, I knew I could count on him.”  

Kyle’s road to recovery is as much a celebration of grit and determination as it is a reminder of the spirit of what defines motocross racing. It was following his third winning season on the Arenacross circuit that he decided to jump back into the AMA Supercross series in April 2022. It was early in the day when Kyle was skimming the whoops that it all went wrong. The aftermath found Kyle in surgery the next morning having two rods and ten screws inserted to support his broken back.

“As I lay there in the hospital bed, I wasn’t thinking about racing at all - my only goal was to be able live a normal life again. Those early moments took a lot out of me, and it still gives me the chills just thinking about it. I was in the ICU for just six days when I was released and that was hard because even trying to sit up for about 30 seconds almost made me pass out from the pain. About a month later I walked into my spine doctor’s office wearing a neck brace and he said to take it off. From then on, the only restrictions I had was not to do anything stupid."

“That was when I called my trainer Cory Worf and I said we needed to get back into the gym. We would work out three-times a week and all I was looking forward to was getting back into shape and strengthening my neck and back. Riding a motorcycle had nothing to do with it. For all the workouts Cory had me doing I knew would need a good source of protein to help my muscle recovery. Given the extent of my injury, more important still were the turmeric-based Cucugreen and MCT Oil extracts used in Reload that are designed to act as anti-inflammatories."

 “I was still having issues eating because the rods in my back were impacting my esophagus so that’s when I got really dependent on my supply of ARMA Reload. I would have two protein shakes a day just mixing Reload with milk for the needed calories and I would bounce back and forth between the Very Vanilla and Deep Chocolate flavors.”

As the weeks and months slipped by, Kyle was getting stronger and more capable of engaging in outdoor activities. And then it happened! “Yeah, it was just one day in late September when I suddenly thought to myself, “I think I can do it!”

The “it” of course was riding again. “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous the first time I got back on the bike. I was being super cautious and just kept telling myself, ‘Just don’t fall!’ But it felt amazing and pretty soon I talked to Cory about racing, and he reminded me that if I was serious that I either had to be all in or not at all. The problem was that the 2023 season would be starting in less than two months.  At the time I was talking to riders like Trey Canard and Jeremy Martin because both of them knew what it took to come back from injury. I’d have to say the hardest part back then was the mental side – it was a battle. Eventually, I figured whatever happens I’ll give to the Lord to look after me.”

To the surprise of spectators and fellow racers alike, when the riders lined up for the first moto of the opening round in Albany, Georgia, there sat Kyle aboard his bright red Team Phoenix Racing Honda. Less than a year after a serious injury, the #1 plate was ready to race! Despite it all, more surprising still was when the night show ended and Kyle had picked up where he left off the previous year by claiming another overall win.

By the time the last race of the series was concluded, Kyle Peters had once again stamped his authority of the series by winning an astounding 22 of 28 races. Kyle was quick to acknowledge his equipment as well as his preparation for helping deliver him another title. During the season Corey had Kyle on a serious training regimen. “On Sunday I would either ride my road or mountain bike. On Monday I would start off in the gym for a few hours and then ride the stationary bike for up to an hour at night. Tuesdays would consist of a two-hour mountain bike ride and then a core workout. Wednesdays would be back on the motorcycle for half the day before returning to the gym, and Thursday would be my travel day.