A True Legend...Zoli Berenyi Sr.
Monday, February 15, 2021 at 1:43PM If you have been around motocross very long particularly Vet moto you have heard of Zoli. If you were lucky you got to see him ride. He had a unique style and you could always pick him out from the crowd usually because he was out front. I did not know Zoli well but always enjoyed speaking with him when we were at the track together. I was always amazed not only with his ability to ride but to smile at life even with the crippling arthritis he suffered. David Pinkman has written an excellent tribuute to Zoli that can be found at www.motocrossactionmag.com I highly recommend you take a few minutes to go there and read more about this legend. The story is dated Feb 13th
Like any motocross racer who suffers an injury, the accepted procedure is to recover as best we can, then get back on the bike as soon as we can. Zoli experienced more than his share of MX-related injuries, but his battle with arthritis was really like a new get-off injury to be faced every day. Grateful that he remained able to swing a leg over his bike, Zoli did as much as he could to battle the disease. He allowed himself to become a virtual pin cushion and test mule for new arthritis medications and treatments, and may have been as well known in the medical community as he was in the world of motocross. But his aim was always the same: to get back on that motorcycle and feel the freedom that racing motocross gave him. As long as he could do that, there were no grounds for complaint, even when he was forced to tie his crooked fingers to the handlebars with duct tape.
Reader Comments (1)
I was lucky enough to meet Zoli while racing. He truly was an inspiration when you saw his crippling arthritic hands. He would climb on the motorcycle and ride like there was no tomorrow.
I will miss seeing Zoli and hope he has the track he now rides all prepped and watered when I get there! Being Zoli, I know he will!!!
Godspeed
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