Gutsy Bay amputee taking on global women's riding relay

Amputee Chris Welch is taking on a mammoth challenge despite all the setbacks on her road to recovery. Photo / Andrew Warner

A Katikati woman who suffered horrific injuries in a motor vehicle crash in 2016 and was bowled off her motorbike earlier this year is competing in an international motorsports event next month. She hopes doing so will encourage other women to follow in her footsteps. One of the event organisers describes the amputee as an "inspiration" to all women.
She's been in two serious crashes and has lost part of her leg but motorcyclist Chris Welch is not letting that stop her taking part in an international motorcycling event.

The gutsy 48-year-old is not back only riding motorbikes again but next month she will be riding in some of the New Zealand stages of the first Women Riders World Relay.

The relay started in Scotland in February and travels through 81 countries, finishing in the United Arab Emirates on January 20.

The New Zealand stages start in Waitangi on September 7 and finish four days later in Invercargill. Almost 20,000 women have registered to take part worldwide, including 312 Kiwis.

Welch, from Katikati, is one of 30 local riders setting off from Bayride Motorcycles on September 7 and riding to Waitangi, Hampton Downs, and Taupō before heading to Wellington, with overnight stops on the way. Welch will finish her part of the relay here while others carry on to Invercargill.

An excited Welch said her partner Lisa Charman will also be taking part.

"It will be amazing, I can't wait, but I hope I will be well enough to do it."

Welch is still suffering the effects of two serious crashes in the last four years.

On September 24, 2016 a man fell asleep at the wheel of his car and smashed head-on into her van on State Highway 2 at Apata.

Welch was knocked unconscious and left with a broken femur, sternum, nose and toe, as well as broken ribs, and a fractured spine. The lower part of her right leg was amputated.

She was hospitalised for 10 weeks and has had multiple surgeries since.

Her right lung "doesn't work" as her diaphragm was paralysed and her prosthetic leg no longer fits properly due to the amount of shrinkage and scarring to the stump.

Amputee Chris Welch was lucky to survive a 2016 crash after her van was hit head-on by another vehicle. Photo / File

Welch said she has had some significant setbacks in her rehabilitation, including having another operation on her stump three months ago.

"It's been really hard and I'm still in a lot of pain today, and I may need further surgery early next year," she said.

Tears welled up in Welch's eyes as she revealed she and her surgeon were in discussions about whether part of her left leg or half of her left foot may also need to be amputated.

Welch admitted there had been some "dark days" during her rehabilitation and said there had been times when she wished she had not survived the crash.

A particularly dark time for Welch was when she was badly injured in yet another crash early this year.

She was hospitalised again on January 3 after she was bowled off her motorbike by an elderly female driver.

Welch said she was knocked out for about a minute and suffered broken ribs again, extensive bruising and was left with haematomas on her stump.

"If it was not for my partner Lisa and her support I wouldn't be here today."

Welch said with her partner and her family's ongoing support she was determined these setbacks would not stop her from doing the things she wanted to do.

"Yes, it's been really tough, but you have to keep going and I'm excited and I'm not worried about taking part in the relay. But this will certainly be the longest distance I have ridden since I started riding again in June last year and I hope I can make it.

"This relay is about showing everyone that women are out there doing things and if we can do it, even after a major accident, I hope other people can find the courage inside themselves to also take on these types of exciting challenges. Life is too short not to."

Welch, who spent more than two decades advocating road safety, is a qualified defensive riding instructor and trains other motorcyclists.

She used to own the Western Bay Riding School but sold it because she could no longer manage the business.

Bayride Motorcycles is supporting the relay by providing a back-up support vehicle, paying for some fuel for local riders and making a donation for a St John paramedic to be on hand.

Rachael Duffield, the road captain on day one of the Kiwi stages of the relay, and one of the Kiwi representative on the relay organising committee said 312 women across this country were taking part in "the biggest biker-chick event in New Zealand and internationally".

"The aim is to inspire other women worldwide and spark the motorcycle industry into realising there is a huge global market from women involved in all sorts of motorsports.

"It will be a fantastic event, and the camaraderie and friendships formed will last a lifetime."

Duffield said Chris was inspiring to other women within the motorcycle industry.

"She doesn't seem to let what has happened to her hold her back from taking on these challenges, while most of the rest of us would have probably given up a long time ago. "

By the numbers: Women's Riders World Relay

342 days, 81 countries, 19,000 competitors.

Includes 312 Kiwis and 600 in Australia.

Total distance 90,000 km, including about 2000km in New Zealand.