It is now six months since ‘Big H’ suffered a life-changing crash on the Mountain Course.

The former leading local road racer was on duty as a travelling marshal for the first qualifying session when word came through from race control that the practice had been scrapped because of wet roads over much of the course and poor visibility on the mountain section.

Hunt was in Parliament Square, Ramsey together with fellowTM and former MGP winner Chris Fargher.

The latter agreed to ride home to Barregarrow on open roads, but Paul took the direct route home to Douglas over the Mountain Road on closed roads as the so-called ‘furniture’ installation for the one-way system has to be set-up prior to that section of the course being re-opened.

Paul rode steadily over the mountain in the mixed conditions, as he has had to do on numerous occasions before when viewing the course in his capacity as a travelling marshal.

Shortly after the entrance to the Slieau Lhost gun range (between Windy Corner and the 33rd Milestone) he felt the front-end of the R1 Yamaha he was riding go from under him. ‘I’m not sure if it aqua-planed or I skidded on the white lines, but the next thing I knew I was sliding down the road on my back with the bike alongside me,’ said Paul.

Both he and the bike went off the road and he hit a fence 15 yards off the mountain, a good 10 feet or more below the height of the road.

‘My right arm got caught in the fence, and the force of my body going over my head snapped my neck.

‘It was a worrying thing at the time, I was lying there with my legs on top of me and not able to feel them.

‘It would appear that no one had seen or heard me crash; and I couldn’t radio for help as my Tetra unit was on the bike, together with my mobile.

‘I was struggling to breath and I thought, I’m not going to make this.’

He managed to calm himself down and the first to reach him after quite a few minutes was the doctor from the helicopter, which had spotted his machine from the air when en route back to the Grandstand having also been stood down from duty.

Hunt was flown to Noble’s where an MRI scan was carried out. Later that evening he was flown away to Walton Hospital in Liverpool.

He was operated on shortly after midnight when two bones from high in his neck were removed and replaced by titanium.

‘As it is now I can’t use my hands or my legs, so I’m a little bit restricted, but happy enough getting lots of visitors, you’ve just got to keep your chin up and hope it gets better.’

Paul is currently awaiting an operation on his right shoulder that will hopefully give him a bit of movement in his right arm that would perhaps enable him to operate a manual wheelchair. At the moment he is using a powered wheelchair.

‘Six months down the line and I’ve had this sore shoulder all the time with only restricted movement and I’m thinking why didn’t they do this four months ago and I would have been four months down the road of rehabilitation,’ continued Paul.

‘I’ve got to take what they say here at the hospital as gospel as they are the experts, and we’ll see what happens.

‘I am obviously at a bit of a crossroads in my life. I will obviously have to retire from work. I am in a very lucky position that I have a pension all paid up – in fact I could have retired two years ago. I have been with Isle of Man Fire and Rescue for 25 years, plus seven before that with the Post Office, so that’s 32 years pensionable pay at the moment.

‘At 30 years we can go with a full pension, so I am very lucky that way but it is not how I wanted to spend my retirement in a wheelchair.’

Paul Hunt will be back in the island for a week at Christmas when he will stay at Joey Dunlop Foundation’s Braddan House.

‘It’ll be a chance to see all the kids and as many people as I can; reminisce a bit.

‘Joey Dunlop Foundation has been kind enough to let me stay there as my own home has not been converted for wheelchair access yet. I am going to have my garage converted into a bedroom with a wet room in there, but I need to be in the island when that is going as I want to supervise what’s going on.

‘When I come back permanently I will be living in a property on Douglas quayside for a short period. This has already been converted as it belongs to an old schoolmate of mine, Barry Kaighin, who had an accident 25 years ago in London and broke his back. He lives off-island most of the time.

‘There are many things you don’t realise, such as converting your house and getting a bit of mobility. At the moment I’ve got a powered wheelchair that gives me some independence, but I’m not going to be able to get into town on that so I’m going to need a vehicle.

‘I will need to drive, it can be done. I want a bit of independence, I don’t want to be reliant on people to do everything for me.’

Showing great strength mentally, he is also has a positive attitude despite only slight improvements.

‘There are only minor improvements, but every time I get something more it perks me up so much you would not believe. I get excited and can’t wait to tell the kids that I’ve done this and done that. But in the big scheme of things it is so little.

’Time’s a great healer, as they say, and there is a little avenue in my injury that suggests that I could get better so I’ve go to cling to that hope and see what happens.’

Paul says that he has had unbelievable support from friends and family over the past six months.

‘The number of Manxies that have been over and called in you would not believe. One of my mates said I believe that Southport want to keep you in hospital as it is boosting the tourist trade so much with all the people coming over from the Isle of Man.

‘I’m looking forward to seeing a lot more people at Christmas.’

I went to see Paul in Southport a while back.
Its great to see him back on the Island.
Keep your chin up H.

A hard story to read and feel so sorry for him.Best of luck big guy and keep the chin up!

very sad to hear
but very nice to actually have some update allthough not nice to read riders getting life changing injurys especially after retiring from racing its nice to know hes not in too bad a shape otherwise the last report i can remember wss shortly after his accident and that wasnt as posotive
all the best big h hope you find a way to pass your time and make the best of whats in store for you

This is a really tough one.
My brother has been in a wheelchair for 41 years, and it's always a struggle for him. One thing that will resonate with Paul is the tremendous resolve that wheelchair users have. My brother NEVER gives in, and I bet "Big H" is just the same.

I send him my very best wishes. What a top bloke he is.

How tragic the accident occuring in the course of helping others, how great Paul's mental strength though, I salute you Sir.

What amazing fortitude from a TT and MGP stalwart, what an incredible example for us all. My absolute best wished to Paul and family and thank you for your incredible contribution to the sport. Ken

All the best to the big man Big H , he is just a nice bloke all ways a smile when ever you met him , he would ride in sort him self out take off the helmet and there it was never miss that big smile and cheeky grin ready for the banter , respect to the man total respect

(10-12-2014, 05:04 PM)Steady the Edward Wrote: All the best to the big man Big H , he is just a nice bloke all ways a smile when ever you met him , he would ride in sort him self out take off the helmet and there it was never miss that big smile and cheeky grin ready for the banter , respect to the man total respect

This is a real eye opener, the TT circuit can be cruel to some and kind to others and in Paul's case he's experienced both. I really hope he makes good progress.

Best Wishes

I wish him all the best, it's a price to pay for all the years he's given to the pursuit of the sport. Good to his such an attitude, makes you feel rather stupid for getting miserable about anything (I'm talking about the small things in life we allow to get us down sometimes) when you read things like this.

I first met Paul in 89 when he binned it at the Bottom of Barregarrow.  He bounced very well indeed for such a big bloke and got away with a broken wrist.  I remember him packing in racing at the TT when he got a two wheel slide on around Ballaspur, he got back to the pits parked the bike and walked away never to return to the TT...it takes a big man to do that.

He attended a fire at my house in 1998 ish when he initially walked in with a small fire extinguisher and then laughed as he went back for the hose reel.....he did manage to destroy the living room carpet for me whilst putting out a fire in the kitchen so I go a new carpet on the insurance!

Since then our paths crossed regularly during our marshaling duties and if I was still racing and had an accident, there is no ones face I would rather see than H's.

He is a lager then life character and I have no doubt that whatever the future holds for him he will make the very best of it because he is that kind of bloke.

I sincerely wish Paul all the best for his future and would like to say thank you for all the pleasure and fun he has provided over his long career as a racer and TM as well as the fire service.

Well said Fitz , like it spot on




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i will always remember on the radio 1 year as they were on the start line not sure who it was at the time but the anouncer came on hers big h paul hunt hes a big c.... aint he he didnt actually get the c... out but you knew what he was about to say
and the laughter all around every one did know im sure

'H' is a great guy and it will be good to see him back on the rock again, i've been to see him twice in Southport and my last visit was fairly amusing.

He didnt know I was coming and I arrived to find an empty bed, asking the staff where he was led to much rushing around and panic, eventually the ward sister arrived on the scene and the guy in the next bed told her he'd gone out for his tea with someone, on hearing this she hit the roof and started rollocking the staff for letting him out without her permission.

I slipped away quietly amidst the commotion, nothing changes with big H!!

I like that one , a Big H story that is just so BIG H !!! to a T



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Christmas card sent !

(14-12-2014, 05:00 PM)Steady the Edward Wrote: I like that one , a Big H story that is just so  BIG H !!! to a T

It was a real Hattie Jacques moment Ed, almost like a scene from the old carry on films, I was chuckling to myself all the way back to the car, at the same time hoping for H's sake that she'd gone off shift before he returned from his unauthorised tea on Southport prom

And can't you just see the grin on his face when you tell him the story , He will love it


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