Day Creek physical education teacher, Mr. Hernandez, was recently injured during a ride with his cycling group, leaving him with serious scrapes across much of his body.

“I was in a group doing a training ride, which is kind of like a mock race,” Hernandez said.

The accident happened when Hernandez reached for his water bottle while riding. As he finished taking a drink, his bike struck a pothole in the road, causing him to lose control and crash.

“It was a freak accident,” Hernandez said. “I only had one hand on the handlebar, and when I hit the pothole, my hand was ripped away, and I went down immediately.”

Luckily, other riders were close by and stopped to help right away.

“Once I crashed, everyone in the group stopped and made sure I was okay,” he said.

Although the crash looked serious, Hernandez said it was minor compared to injuries he has suffered in the past.

“Most crashes are ones I can walk away from, but there have been times I was hospitalized,” he said. “My worst accident was breaking both of my arms at the same time while I was teaching.”

Hernandez is now near the end of his recovery, but his bike did not survive the crash.

“When I went down, all I could think was, ‘How is my bike?’” he said. “It costs about $15,000, which is more than some cars. It broke in two places, but my sponsors were kind enough to replace it.”

Despite the risks, Hernandez continues to ride, even when others question his determination.

“People ask if I’m crazy, tough, or both,” he said. “I’d like to think it’s both, but probably more crazy. I keep doing it because it’s fun.”

Students admire his perseverance. Eighth grader Avery V. said, “He is strong,” while Aela W. added, “He has perseverance.”