Paul Nolan:  Great Attitude

By Jayme LaRocca

 

Paul Nolan is a quadriplegic from an on-track accident that occurred at Will Rogers Downs in Oklahoma, on April 18th of last year. He suffered a contusion to his neck at the C3 level, which also affected his respiratory muscles. Although there were no broken bones, his spinal cord was severely swollen and the prognosis is unknown. The veteran jockey of more than 30 years is now paralyzed from the neck down. He uses a motorized wheelchair for mobility. Paul has retained some sensation and movement of his arms and legs. He endures a tiring physical therapy program, which includes assisted walking 3-4 days a week using a walker.

The horse Paul was riding fell while galloping out after the race, throwing him to the ground and then rolling on top of him twice. Paul says, “That’s when everything went fuzzy”. “What I remember of the accident is the horse’s head just disappeared and me laying on the ground, unable to move or breathe”.

Paul’s not the only jockey in his family. His father, Paddy Nolan, was a well-known Irish Steeplechase jockey who would teach and be a big influence on Paul. He used to tag along with his father to the racetrack and got on horses when he could. Paul says, “For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a jockey”.

Paul emigrated from England to the US in the mid 1980’s to pursue a career as a jockey. He rode at many racetracks around the country and in 2006, he won the riding title at Canterbury Park, where he was known as the “Sod Surgeon”, for his abilities on the turf course. He has had many serious injuries throughout his career, but none of them compare to his current challenges. As far as the dangers of being a jockey, Paul says, “Most people don’t have an ambulance following them while at work”.

Paul has an amazing sense of humor and he has maintained it through his injury and rehabilitation. He puts you at ease with his jokes and punchlines. Because of his accident, Paul says, “I was able to cross two things off my bucket list; taking a helicopter ride and traveling in a Learjet”. Both were to transport him to hospitals. After a 3½ month rehab stay at Craig Hospital in Colorado, he’s now at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute in Minnesota. Paul jokes, “I always wondered what it was like to be institutionalized”.

Paul plans to return to his Bloomington, Minnesota home in the next few weeks where he will continue his physical therapy program, which will bring nurses and medical professionals. Many financial expenses come along with having a spinal cord injury and it’s hard to finds ways to pay for them. Paul is grateful to everyone who has conducted fundraisers or made donations. He says, “I want to thank everyone for their support, it’s made a big difference”.

Racing fans will have an opportunity to meet Paul when he will be another one of the honorees at the Jockeys and Jeans Charity Event to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF). This year’s event will be held at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota, on June 23rd. Paul is looking forward to seeing his friends and fans at the track where he became such a popular figure.

Photo by Dustin Orona

 

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