It was news both tragic and shocking: in January, former pro racer Blake Savage went riding with his brother-in-law, Ken Roczen. He crashed and broke the C5, C6, and C7 vertebrae in his neck, leaving him with limited feeling and movement. Over the last two months, Blake—who is the trainer for Roczen, Chase Sexton, Cole Seely, and Christian Craig—has fought hard to regain some movement and feeling, but his battle will continue as he attempts to walk again.

What's the experience like? Jason Weigandt chatted with Blake about the process for this podcast, and Blake got raw with the emotional highs and lows, the work, and his hopes for the future. Blake had his own insurance at the time of the injury, but few policies can stand up to the huge medical costs associated with this injury. You can visit Road2Recovery.com to donate to Blake's cause—the more therapy he can do, the better his chances. For now, Blake keeps working, while also continuing to provide training advice to his riders.

The Racer X Exhaust podcast is presented by Yoshimura.