A MOTORBIKE racer is on the long road to recovery after miraculously surviving a 130mph accident at the Isle of Man TT.

Fiona Baker-Holden, 46, from Mellor Brook, suffered a broken neck, while father Tony, 74, from Penrith, suffered a smashed femur, after racing in the sidecar championships at the iconic circuit.

The pair, who call themselves the Cumbria Express, were lifted to Noble’s Hospital on the island before being moved to Liverpool’s Aintree Hospital for surgery.

Initially there were fears that Fiona could be left paralysed because of damage to her spinal cord.

She spent a month in Aintree Hospital before moving to the Walton Centre, where she had a cage inserted into her spinal column as doctors had to remove a damaged vertebrae. She also suffered severe nerve damage to her right arm and a very badly sprained left ankle.

Tony spent a fortnight in hospital after having pins and plates put into his leg but both are on the long road to recovery.

The accident happened on June 2 as the pair made their way around the 37-and-three-quarter-mile course as they looked to set a personal best on their Baker Suzuki 600cc machine.

Fiona, who works for Lancashire Police in Hutton, said: “We had a fantastic practice week and set 110mph for the lap, which was right among the leading riders.

“So we were full of confidence going into the race. And we were going well until we were approaching Alpine Corner. There was a bike on front of us that was breaking down so my dad was trying to pick the best line around them.

“As he started to brake, I was trying to second guess where he was going so I could complement what he was doing. But the next thing I remember is seeing hospital curtains. I thought it was a bad dream so I went back to sleep.

“It was only later that people had told me what had happened. I couldn’t even remember being in the Isle of Man.

“I spoke to a marshal when I was in hospital to thank him for helping me and he told that I’d been flung 20ft in the air and landed on my head. My helmet saved me, I’m just so lucky.”

Fiona’s husband John, a two-time TT winner, was in the same race and was told when the race was stopped that his wife had sustained soft-tissue injuries, so was able to complete the race, finishing second.

It was only then he found out the full extent of the injuries to his wife and father-in-law.

An inspection of the bike revealed that it was a snapped handlebar that caused the accident.

Fiona said: “It was completely out of our control. I do a ‘crack test’ where I go over every millimetre of the bike with a magnifying glass and torch. It then goes onto further technical scrutiny.

“Where the crack was that caused the handlebar to snap, couldn’t be seen in the crack test, so it was just one of those things.”

And Fiona admitted she feels guilty having survived after another young rider lost his life during the TT festival.

She added: “I’m still struggling to come to terms with what has happened. I feel incredibly guilty that I’m still around when other people have lost their lives.

“Racing is a hard business and we’ve lost loved ones and friends but I’m still trying to process what happened.

“If I hadn’t been so fit and worked so hard on my fitness, I wouldn’t be around now.

“The doctors said I have a very long road ahead of me to get anywhere near better. They reckon it will be about 18 months for me to recover.

“But I’m getting fantastic support and treatment. I’m getting treatment at Cryo Express in Blackburn and it’s helping me massively.

“My husband was moved to tears as I was able to touch my nose with my right hand after just half an hour’s treatment. I haven’t been able to do that since the accident.

“I’ve been able to get funding from the Simon Andrews Fund, which helps injured riders, to get the treatment I need.

“And once I’m fit, I’ll be doing fundraising to help give other riders the treatment they need after they have an accident.

“I know just how valuable that support is and how vital it has been for me.

“If there’s one good thing that can come out of this, it’s that.”

Tony is recovering well and is aiming to get back into racing, but for Fiona, she fears her racing days may be over.

She added: “Racing has been a big part of my life. My dad has been doing it all my life, and I’ve been racing competitively for 15 years.

“In my head, I want to race, but I’m not sure my body would be able to cope. I looked at the MRI scan at the damage to my spinal cord and another accident like this will leave me paralysed.

“It’s like going through a divorce but still loving the person who is divorcing you. It’s hard to come to terms with. I’ll have to see what happens once I’m better. In my head I want to race, but I have to listen to my body.

“I just want to say thank you to all the people who have wished me and my dad well after what’s happened. Work have been fantastic and Clarissa Beadman, from one of our sponsors Silicone Engineering, has been great. It means so much and it’s helping us recover and stay positive.”