Lukas Verzbicas Recovering From Serious Bike Accident
From the moment that Lukas Verzbicas burst onto the national track scene in March, 2009 it was easy to see that he was definitely “something special”. Lukas debuted at the then-Nike Indoor Nationals (now New Balance Nationals Indoor) with a big splash by breaking the freshman class national record and earning his first national championship in the 5,000m. Lukas would go on to win three XC national titles (Foot Locker ‘09/’10 plus NXN ‘10) along with 3 NBNI gold medals in the 5k (in then HS National Record time), 2 Mile and 1 Mile with the last two races less than an hour apart. Just for good measure, Lukas went on to set a new HS National Record in the 2 mile (8:29.46) and later joined the very elite group of high school athletes to run under 4 minutes for the full mile with his final high school race at 3:59.71. In short, Lukas broke barriers of all kinds and did things that no other high school runner had ever done---especially when his entire career is viewed as a collective body of work.
No matter how amazing those accomplishments may be, the legend of Lukas Verzbicas, high school distance runner, far exceeds mere numbers, trophies, and accolades. Even as a scrawny ninth grader, Lukas had a certain flair and an air of confidence that set him apart. His uncanny ability to rise up in the biggest moments and his twinkling smile that left everyone thinking that there would be many more records broken and championships won in dramatic fashion made Lukas the person even more fascinating to the track and cross country world. Websites and publications followed his every move in training and racing along with his summer school work that allowed him to graduate early and move on from high school after only three years. Never before has a high school runner had so much speculation and intrigue surrounding him, his plans, etc. Lukas seemed to enjoy the attention and he used the mystery of it all to add to his competitive mystique. He did nothing to shy away from the perception that he could achieve new levels of excellence by sheer force of will combined with his prodigious God-given talent.
Although Lukas and I chatted in person only a handful of times, I always felt a special connection to him. As an announcer, I had the best seat in the house (or on the course!) for many of Lukas’s record-breaking performances and stirring victories and always took great pleasure in announcing his races. There was always a sense of anticipation of greatness when we knew Lukas was stepping up to the line. On behalf of the NSAF, I also maintained contact with Lukas and his mom/coach, the former Lithuanian national record-holder at 3k. I emailed regularly to make them aware of opportunities for Lukas to race at NSAF events and just to see how things were going. Both Lukas and his mom were always polite, always respectful, always grateful, and just a bit vague in terms of commitments, goals, and plans. The phrase I remember most from his mom was that Lukas would come and race at one of our events, if training went well and he was “ready to do something special”. Looking back, I can say with certainty, every time Lukas raced on the national stage, it was indeed “something special”.
Another aspect of the Lukas mystique in high school and beyond was the fact that he was also a world-class competitor for his age in Duathlon (Bike/Run) and Triathlon (Swim/Bike/Run). The whole time he was racking up all those accomplishments in high school running, he was also developing into a major force in the worldwide triathlon scene. In ‘09, Lukas won gold in the Pan-Am Jr. Triathlon and became the World Jr. Duathlon Champion. In 2010, he finished 4th in the World Jr. Triathlon Championships---a great accomplishment, but perhaps a bit disappointing to those who had Lukas placed on a superhuman pedestal. Then in 2011, Lukas repeated as Pan-Am Jr. Triathlon gold medalist and went on to win the World Jr. Triathlon Championship as well in an effort to honor his friend and triathlon teammate who was undergoing cancer treatments----one more tall-tale chapter in his storybook career during his high school years.
A brief stint at the University of Oregon followed high school and amidst more speculation and controversy, Lukas left school to pursue triathlon training full-time---not a surprising choice for the World Jr. Champion. This July 31st, Lukas suffered major injuries in a bicycling accident while training in Colorado Springs. Following multiple surgeries, Lukas has a long and difficult recovery process ahead, yet he is embracing it with an eye toward inspiring others. Here are links to brief stories with video on the progress that Lukas is making so far:
Special thanks to competitor.com for publishing these stories and making the videos available to the public.
The aftermath of that crash is stunning--especially in the first video. Lukas’s progress is impressive already, though, by the date of the second video. The challenge he faces is monumental and more than ever before has potential to truly lead to “something special”.
On September 4 Lukas was discharged from the hospital after five weeks. The next phase of his recovery has begun.
We at the NSAF are cheering Lukas on once again. Won’t you join us?
Contact Lukas with words of encouragement and support via email or you can tweet him and follow his progress.
Photos © by PhotoRun
