How Jamie defied the odds - again and again

Five years ago, Jamie Harrison’s life changed in an instant. Doctors said the Moreton Bay resident would never race again. How wrong they were.

The 56-year-old from Clontarf recently had his best finish, since the diagnosis, in the Finke Desert race, one of Australia’s toughest off-road challenges.

Despite being left paraplegic by a motorbike accident, Jamie finished fifth in his class driving a four-wheel buggy in the race from Alice Springs to Aputula in the Northern Territory.

“To be honest, I was hoping to podium this year,” said Jamie, after returning to the scene of his devastating accident for a third time.

“But when you put people with a disability in an environment with able-bodied people it’s a feel-good moment. You forget you are disadvantaged.”

Defying expectations has become Jamie’s trademark. It is more than a racing comeback. Jamie refused to surrender to circumstance.

He is also now an inspirational figure for people with a disability who want to take up or continue in motorsport.

For years Jamie entered the Finke Desert Race on a motorbike until, in 2021, he’d just finished the first of two fuel stops and rejoined the race third in his class.

“I was doing about 120kmh and remember looking through the dust but didn’t see a huge rock,” Jamie said.

“I went over the handlebars, the bike followed and crushed me. The bike did the damage.

“I knew straight away I was a paraplegic, which I think was a good thing, knowing straight away and not getting caught in a sort of no-man’s land.”

He was airlifted to Alice Springs and the Royal Flying Doctor Service was waiting to take him to Adelaide, when a fellow competitor arrived.

“He’d changed from bikes to cars and just said don’t worry we’ll get you back racing in a buggy,” Jamie recalled.

“I used that as a distraction in rehab, during COVID, in Adelaide. I thought how do I race a buggy?

“It saved me mentally. Gave me focus, direction, something to get excited about.

“I actually went out from hospital checking buggies, seeing what was available, phoning organisations about how to get licences and race. That was my saviour.”

Jamie was breaking new ground when converting a special buggy to race, as few people with a disability drive in motorsport, especially off-road.

The buggy had to meet many requirements for an off-road licence and Jamie had to prove he could get in and out in 10 seconds, lifting his own body weight each time.

Being a fitter and machinist by trade - including 11 years with Qantas - Jamie has a strong technical background.

“With every problem I had to come up with a solution,” he said. “I integrated stuff which gets used in everyday cars into the buggy.

“There was a lot of testing. Once we started to drive, it threw up other issues, like going from lock to lock, which needs a lot of hand movements.

“Now I have to use my hands for everything - accelerate, steer and brake with enough force.

“I am still nervous racing. Not that I’ll hurt myself in a rollcage, but more the physical challenge.”

Jamie’s first return to Alice Springs for the 2024 Finke Desert race was also a challenge.

“Going back was difficult,” he said. “I was thinking, last time I was here I was walking through that door.

“It was confronting going past the crash site in a race environment, just staying focussed and not worrying about that big lump that cartwheeled me last time!”

Jamie also has his motorbike licence back and now rides an adventure bike now with “landing gear’ which comes down at lights and then folds back up.

The former Sydney, Brisbane and Sandgate resident will also return to two national series he has entered and is preparing for trips to South Australia and Kalgoolie.

But he insists: “I’m not special. I have just the same fight as other people with disability.

“In fact, the more people I meet who are in a similar situation, it’s quite clear we often don’t know our ability to adapt.”

Wheelchair rugby, basketball and tennis have become prominent sports but Jamie was surprised by the lack of motorsport for those with disability.

However, he said: “More and people now race with similar set-ups through me helping them and showing what to do. I love that.”