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| Mike Doohan |
The first one is the incredible story of Michael Doohan.
On June 26th, 1992, Michael Doohan, the absolute leader of the 500cc World Championship, crashes his bike at Assen (Holland). He receives a 4th distal displaced spiroid fracture in his right leg. He is brought to the Mobile Clinic, where the doctors explain to the Australian rider that his fracture can be cured without surgery. This would enable him to race at the last event in the championship: a 5th or higher place in the last race would secure him the title of World Champion. But Doohan turns down this offer: he wants to win races, and will not hear of long-term strategies to win the Championship. He wants to undergo surgery to go back to racing as soon as possible. The Dutch doctors accept and operate on his right leg. Unfortunately, terrible complications set in. Mike Doohan risks not only losing his leg but also his very life. At this dreadful time, a desperate Mick calls Dr. Costa and the Mobile Clinic doctors, who organise an air ambulance, go and snatch him away from the Dutch hospital.
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Kevin Schwantz, admitted to the same hospital to cure a wrist fracture and pelvis dislocation, is taken aboard the same plane.
Flown to Italy, Mike Doohan is submitted to intensive care (medicines, treatments, hyperbaric chamber), but his right leg is so severely hurt that a daring operation must be attempted: Mick's right leg is surgically joined to his left leg. The healthy leg must nourish and save the other, devastated, leg. The operation is successful: Mick's legs are now both wounded but no longer in danger. With the return of life, his desire returns. 40 days have elapsed, and Mick Doohan wants to race again. Mick's sheer dionysiac madness is shared by his doctor …. They leave for the races in Brazil (where he finishes 11th) and South Africa (where he finishes 6th): Mick Doohan loses the 1992 World Championship by just 2 points.
   
With his legs still bleeding under the special protections prepared for the race, Mick Doohan grieves over his fate. His few friends cry around him. His doctor, who had accompanied him step by step in this mad enterprise, finds this outcome impossible to accept and thinks that justice is not of this world. But his doctor is just a man, with limited knowledge of the superior designs of an invincible justice which will bring Mick Doohan onto the highest step of Brno rostrum in 1994, as a World Champion. On September 7th, 1994 Dr. Costa writes this letter to his friend Mick Doohan:
After winning his 4th World Championship, Michael received another letter:
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