mat barton

Mat Barton working out at a
training center at Beaverton.
(Photos: Mat Barton)

Nearly two months since a freak crash in a local bike race left him paralyzed from the chest down, southeast Portland resident Mat Barton is pushing his body through physical therapy and coming to grips with his new way of life.

Mat is a married, 31-year-old graphic designer who works in the bike industry and for whom bicycling was an all-consuming passion (to an almost “unhealthy” extent he says). His crash and the severity of his injury has spurred widespread community support and the creation of the Mat Barton Recovery Fund. I recently heard from Mat about how his recovery is coming along and how he’s handling things.

“There’s good days and bad days.”

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Mat Barton.

The community has responded in big way to the serious injury suffered by Portland resident Mat Barton.

During a local mountain bike race on June 11th, Barton fell off balance while riding over a series of large bumps and flew off his bike head first. After surgery to repair broken vertebrae, doctors say he’ll likely be paralyzed from the chest down for the rest of his life.

Mat — a married, 31-year-old graphic designer who works for local bike retailer BikeTiresDirect.com — has many friends and supporters who have rallied around him to offer support. Six days ago, friends and family put up a fundraising website to help offset his medical bills and other expenses sure to come on his long road to recovery.

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