Leighton Lillie
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born | May 31, 1983 Lewiston, Idaho |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Sport | |
| Country |  United States |
| Sport | Motocross, Snowbike, Jet Boat, Sprint Boat |
| Team | Preventing Insanity Racing |
| Turned pro | 2002 |
Leighton Lillie is a former professional motorcycle racer who was paralyzed from the chest down in a 2009 motorcycle crash. Injuries to his spinal cord left him in a wheel chair, unable to walk, let alone race. His career ending injury didn’t stop him from still successfully competing in different realms of motorized sports to this day. Leighton is a rider/sports personality and inspiration to many.
Biography[edit]
Leighton has been riding motorcycles since 1989. From the first day Leighton sat on his Suzuki JR50 with training wheels he knew he was meant to spend his life on a bike. After placing 3rd in his first race he decided to pursue a career in racing.
With the constant support of his family and role models such as Jeremy McGrath and Lance Armstrong, Leighton dedicated himself to becoming the best he could be at the sport he loved.
Leighton decided to turn Pro at 18 and raced Arenacross and outdoors in 2002. His career has exemplified his consistent desire to succeed ever since.
In 2003 he raced the 4Stroke Nationals and placed 13th in points only to raise the bar, returning in 2004, moving up in ranks to 6th. In 2005 Leighton won the AMA Thundercross Series[1] and earned a number one plate. 2006 brought about new challenges as he joined Wyvern Motosports to ride the East Coast AMA Supercross series in the 125Lites class and return to finish the West Coast series in the 250's.
While riding for Monster/Kawasaki/ Babbitt’s team, Leighton suffered fractures to the T6 and T7 vertebras in his back after crashing during practice in the AMA Arenacross race in Tulsa, Oklahoma in February of 2009. After months of recovery, injuries to his spinal cord left him in a wheel chair, unable to walk, let alone race.
What seemed to be a career ending injury, didn’t stop Leighton from still participating in racing motorized sports. He found his next interest and challenge in racing marathon river jet boats. With adaptive equipment, Leighton took on somewhat of a level playing field with the other able bodied competitors. In 2016, he won the World Jet Boat Championship in the FX class. This race spanned three rivers, seven days and 600 miles.
During winter months, Leighton took on another challenge of learning to ride a snowbike. In 2018, he was invited to compete in the 2019 Winter X-Games in Aspen, Colorado. With his adaptive snowbike, he became a two time Bronze medalist in the Winter X-Games Para Snowbikecross in both 2019 and then again in 2020. Leighton also competes in the AMA National Championship Snowbike Series, where he races against only able bodied riders. In 2022, he placed 3rd in points in this snowbike series.
Career highlights[edit]
- 2022 AMA National Championship Snowbike Series: 3rd overall
- 2019 & 2020: Two time Bronze Medalist Winter X-Games Para Snowbikecross
- 2016 World Jet Boat Championship: FX class
- 2007
- SX class full season: Qualified for 18 out of 18 shows, Best qualifying time 18th fastest
- Hangtown Outdoor National 26-40(DNF Mechanical) 32nd O/A
- 2006
- German SX Series: Rode four events: Best finish 4th in the SX main, Brun, Czech Republic, multiple top eight finishes
- East Coast Lites SX: Qualified for 7 of 8 shows- SX class- qualified for all shows
- 2005
- Washougal MX National 21-25 26th O/A
- AMA 4 Stroke National Champion
- Western 4 Stroke National 3rd O/A
- 2004
- Washougal MX National 36-24 30th O/A
- Western 4 Stroke National 6th O/A
- White Brothers 4 Stroke National Championship Points 2nd
- 2003
- California Golden State National Champ 250 Pro
- Western 4 Stroke National 13th O/A
- Amateur
- Three time Idaho state champ
- 2001 Gold Series Champ 125-250 Pro
- 2000 5th World Mini GP 125Mod Int.- 7th 250 stk Int
References[edit]
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