Video: Brad Baker's longest lap

And of course I don't just mean death, which is a terrible risk but a very simple one. Far more complicated is an injury that ends a racing career, leaving a young person who has always been focused on one singular goal to find another.

That's the challenge Brad Baker faces after a seemingly minor crash last year in the X Games left him unable to walk. As this video shows, Baker is using the determination that made him a fierce competitor on the track to get him through the adjustment to a new life.

The first example that usually comes to mind, when we think of a racer trying to build a very different Act Two to life, is MotoAmerica principal Wayne Rainey. He has certainly proven that a lot can be accomplished in life once the racing abruptly, painfully and unexpectedly ends. His success, though, shouldn't be a reason to underestimate the challenges that Baker or other racers face.

Four years ago, Spain-based U.S. racer Kenny Noyes, who was then the Spanish Superbike champion, crashed in a what should have been an uneventful morning warmup session. He was in a coma for more than two weeks, and life since has been a battle toward recovery. He recently posted a video clip of himself walking without any aids, even a cane. Considering the grace and speed with which he used to ride a motorcycle, that slow gait may seem a faltering thing. But like Baker's hard work, it really shows a triumph that's harder earned than any race win.