He once raced 2 weeks after breaking ankle
Gritty S'porean racer takes on top riders in the FIM Asia Supermoto Championship today
He fractured his left ankle in a motocross race in mid-August last year.
About two weeks later, motorcycle racer Hasroy Osman broke the cast on his ankle and competed in the Honda Asia Dream Cup 2015 in Thailand.
While Mr Hasroy managed to complete both races at the event, he did so in pain.
Today, he will be counting on the same determination and skill as he races against international riders in Round 1 of the FIM Asia Supermoto Championship in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
Mr Hasroy, 24, tells The New Paper on Sunday about his race with a fractured ankle: "I had problems shifting gears. I had to lift my whole left leg just to move the (shift) lever.
"Sometimes I missed a gear because I didn't have the strength. But I managed to complete (both) the races safely without crashing."
In today's Australia leg of the FIM Asia Supermoto Championship, 17 riders from countries such as Spain, the UK, Australia, Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan and Indonesia will line up on the grid. Mr Hasroy and veteran racer Eric Chia are representing Singapore.
Riding high-powered 450cc dirt bikes equipped with road tyres, the racers negotiate each lap over tarmac and an off-road section, complete with jumps.
Spectators can expect to see riders brake-sliding into corners and daringly take jumps even when their slick tyres have no grip on off-road terrain.
Mr Hasroy, who has competed in motocross, supermoto and road racing events, has taken his own tyres and braking components for the Newcastle race.
Mr Hasroy, who prefers to race dirt bikes, says: "For supermoto, you'll need strong brakes and sticky tyres. There will be lots of hard braking and acceleration. If I use normal brakes, they'll overheat and the brakes will fade."
EXPENSIVE
While local sponsors are forthcoming in providing product support, Mr Hasroy discloses that racing is expensive, especially when he has to pay out of his own pocket.
His secretary mother and personal driver father - both in their 40s - have been supportive as they also share the cost of his racing.
For instance, Mr Hasroy pays for his airfare and his mechanic's airfare for some race meets while the race organisers provide hotel accommodation.
"It might not be much for a single race meet, but it adds up when you take part in a full season which has four or five rounds," he says.
"It becomes a financial burden when I take part in motocross, supermoto and road racing all in the same year. I hope to get financial support."
But win or lose, he cherishes the memories from races like the Qatar leg of the Honda Asia Dream Cup championship in October last year.
Mr Hasroy says: "That's (Losail) the circuit that MotoGP riders compete on. You get to ride it like the MotoGP stars at night. The experience is magical."
And Race 2 of the Qatar race kept the teams in the paddock in suspense, too.
Mr Hasroy adds: "It was a good fight for me. I was fighting for Top 5, but I got unlucky in the last lap."
He finished in ninth place.
With more than 20 trophies at home from his racing career which started at age 16, Mr Hasroy, who was formerly a fitness instructor, says he expects the competition today to be stiff.
He reveals that half the grid consists of new riders, making it hard to gauge if he can get into the Top 5 or Top 10.
Yet, Mr Hasroy, who has been on the podium in various races in Malaysia, welcomes the uncertainty.
He adds: "I usually make many new friends. But more importantly, I gain a lot of racing experience when competing with international riders.
"Foreign riders are more aggressive and if you leave a gap, they will exploit it and overtake you."
Like his rivals, Mr Hasroy knows when to put his game face on. Friendship ends when he dons his helmet and the race begins.
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