From a Broken Hip to Paris-Roubaix - Edwin Hekman

"Op 28 oktober 2024 veranderde alles." "On 28 October 2024, everything changed."

That's how our patient describes the day a routine training ride turned into a life-changing accident. 

Just a few hundred metres from home, he hit a hole in the road and was thrown over the handlebars. The crash left him with a hip fractured in two places. He was taken straight to hospital, and just three hours later, he was in surgery. As he puts it:

"Wat volgde was een lange weg terug." "What followed was a long road to recovery."

When he first came to ELEVA, Paris-Roubaix wasn't even on the radar. The focus was getting him back on his feet.

Taking the First Steps

Recovering from a serious hip fracture takes time and a structured approach. In the early stages, our priority was helping him reduce pain and rebuild confidence in everyday movements.

After about a month, physiotherapy was well underway. Three months after surgery, he was able to get back on the bike, but very carefully. Little by little, he started doing more. Longer rides. Swimming in the sea. Eventually, he was back on the trails, first on an e-bike before returning to his mountain bike. 

Recovery Isn’t Always Linear

Although his recovery was progressing well, something still didn't feel right. The pain lingered, and in June, after pushing his training a little too hard, he experienced a setback. Further investigations revealed the cause: one of the screws from the original surgery was irritating a muscle around his hip. The decision was made to remove the implant. While this meant another operation, it also marked an important turning point.

"Vanaf dat moment kwam mijn motivatie terug. Ik durfde weer vooruit te kijken." "From that moment, my motivation came back. I finally felt like I could look ahead again."

Our priority was helping him believe in his body again.

A Goal, A Motivation

Not long after his second surgery, he made a decision that surprised even himself. He signed up for Paris-Roubaix. As he put it:

"Een doel. Een motivatie." "A goal. A motivation."

Having a goal can completely change the rehabilitation process. It gives every gym session and every bike ride a purpose. Working alongside Edric, who combined physiotherapy with strength and performance training, the focus shifted from simply recovering to preparing his body for one of cycling's toughest events.

Three strength sessions each week. Progressive loading. Hours back on the bike. Building confidence, one ride at a time. By February, he knew he wasn't quite back to 100%, but he never stopped believing he could make it to the starting line.

The Ultimate Test

In April, he stood on the start line of Paris-Roubaix alongside his brother, William. Ahead of them were 146 kilometres, around 6,000 fellow cyclists, and some of the most famous cobblestone sectors in professional cycling, including the Forest of Arenberg, Mons-en-Pévèle, and Carrefour de l'Arbre. Looking back, he laughed as he said:

"De kasseienstroken waren echt een verhaal op zich." "The cobblestone sections were a story in themselves."

He described the Forest of Arenberg, the Pévèle and Carrefour de l'Arbre as the toughest sections of the ride.

"That's where you realise keeping your speed is your best option. If you slow down, you're in trouble."

Despite the challenge, there was one thing that mattered more than anything else: 

"Het mooiste van alles: mijn heup heeft zich de hele rit perfect gehouden." "The best part of it all was that my hip held up perfectly throughout the entire ride."

No pain. Just the satisfaction of discovering that all the hard work had paid off.

To make the day even more memorable, he completed the ride alongside his brother, a special milestone after already riding the Amstel Gold Race, Tour of Flanders, and Strade Bianche together. Five hours and fifty minutes later, they rolled into the iconic Roubaix Velodrome.

More Than Recovery 

This is a story about resilience, and it's about what is possible when rehabilitation is built around your goals.

At ELEVA, every patient has a different journey and a different finish line. Our role is to help you get there safely, confidently, and with a plan that's tailored to you.

We'll leave the final words to our patient, because we don't think we could say it any better: 

"Trots. Dankbaar. En vooral blij dat ik weer kan doen wat ik het liefste doe." "Proud. Grateful. And above all, happy that I can do what I love most again."

Read his full story:https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2932638990273853&id=100005833420478&mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=cAk2oYGI45ZbEWV2