Kia ora Riroriro and Whānau. At 8:30am on Saturday 27 March, I was mountain biking along a picturesque Waimairi Beach and into a tranquil Bottle Lake Forest. It was a warm morning and not a breath of wind. I had AC/DC playing in my headphones and I was making good time according to my exercise app.

I braked for a corner and as I went around it, I saw another tighter corner. I grabbed the front brake of my bike as I rounded the second corner and that's when the hydraulic brakes on my front wheel stopped my tyre in its track.

My bike instantly stopped, however that is not quite how physics works and I continued over the handlebars at a decent speed. As I flew through the air, I remembered saying in my head “This is going to hurt!” I instinctively knew not to put out my hands and I managed to twist my body in mid-air so that I would land on my side to spread out the impact. Unfortunately, I hit the ground with my left shoulder taking the full impact. I heard a loud bang which echoed in the empty forest. I thought it was the metal frame of my bike snapping.

My clavicle (collarbone) had basically exploded. That echoing bang I had heard in the forest was not the metal bike frame breaking, but my clavicle separating from my shoulder and snapping into four pieces.

I spent two days in hospital before being discharged.

I am now writing this account as I lay on my bed watching Netflix. It might sound like a nice little break from normality, but I assure you that it isn't. The hot pain in my shoulder is not going away. I can’t turn my head. I need help getting out of bed. Showering is extremely difficult too.

I could fixate on the pain and feel sad for myself or I can focus on a goal to recover for Term 2. The choice is easy… see you in Term 2.

If you have read this far down, thank you for your kind thoughts. I do have one request and that request is that you do your best at school over the next few weeks without me there. Make me proud of you and our Kāhui by showing your CARR values to yourself, your friends, your teachers and your family.

Take care of yourself and be safe.

Mr Stock
Riroriro Kāhui Dean