Drake To Undergo Heart Surgery
Cycle News Staff | July 7, 2021
Bar X/Chaparral/Ecstar Suzuki rider Derek Drake says he will undergo heart surgery to rectify a rare heart condition that has been affecting his condition in the outdoor Pro Motocross Championship.
He revealed the news via social media: Alright, time to set the record straight. Since I can remember, I’ve had to manage and live with a rare heart condition. I never knew this condition would affect me so much when it came to my fitness and health as a pro athlete. The last two years I’ve been training and suffering every day, and I’ve been getting nowhere, I just thought I needed to train harder, and I just buried myself. In amateurs, I could get by because the longest motos we had to do were 20 minutes at [Loretta Lynn’s]. But as a pro athlete, it’s holding me back from getting to the level of fitness I know I need to train at and be consistent with. I decided to put my health first and this month I plan to undergo heart surgery in hopes that I can move forward with ease and heal my body properly. I am taking some time off to get better, and I will be back. CN
