Open your eyes and Listen.

Open your eyes and Listen.

Shane Booth

“Slow down, take your time, leave more time for your journey”.

As motorists, we’ve all heard these messages, from family, driving instructors and safety campaigns. Telling us to slow down, ease off the accelerator and reduce the risk of a crash.

But what if you were told to “Open your eyes and listen”, would you instantly apply that message to your driving?

What does it mean?

Shane Booth would like to repeat that message to you, again and again, every time you start your car or put on your leathers.

Open your eyes and listen.

On the 5th August 2009, whilst motorcycling through Baden-Baden in German, Shane’s life was quite literally thrown upside down as another driver, taking no diligence to the road users around them, knocked Shane from his motorbike as they undertook a dangerous U-turn in the road.

Had the driver taken the time to open their eyes and listen they would of seen Shane and they would of heard his engine.

Shane, a successful Sales Director prior to the crash, was able to transfer his vocational skills to give him the tools to be able to progress with his rehabilitation.

“This accident left me fighting for my life, with several broken limbs and, a traumatic brain injury. The accident ultimately left me disabled and, for three months I was unable to speak.”

A decade on from the crash that threatened Shane’s life and he has turned his situation around. A successful and well recommended presenter, Shane shares his story with professionals and the education sector to educate and inspire, whilst also making sure you hear his message “Open your eyes and listen”.

"The man that speaks, derived from the fact that, for three months following a major life-threatening motorbike accident that I had on the 5th August 2009, at a place called Baden-Baden in Germany, I couldn’t even speak let alone string a sentence together. This accident left me fighting for my life, with several broken limbs and a traumatic brain injury, and ultimately leaving me disabled and unable to return to work. I’ve now recovered such that I’ve recently embarked on my public speaking journey, where I hope to educate and inspire others, that just because your disabled and can’t return to work, life doesn’t necessarily have to stop."

Being on a bike gave Shane a sense of freedom and independence, enjoying the great outdoors across Europe but far from giving up, Shane has swapped his motorcycle for a bicycle and is enjoying his new passion and freedom again.

Shane shares his new passion’s success:

"Following on from the successes of 2021, when we cycled things like the JOGLE, cycling 956.04 miles from John ‘O’ Groats in the far North of Scotland to Lands-end in the far South of England in just 14 days.

We’ve set out a number of goals for 2022, one of which we’ve already completed when my support worker Ian Richard Sanders and I cycled 174 miles from Morcombe to Bridlington, better known as The way of the roses in just 4 days.

Set out below are our goals for 2022, although the list isn’t conclusive: -

April 2022 – (France D-Day landing beeches) 5 days;

March 2022 – (The way of the roses) 3 days;

May 2022 – (Devon Coast to Coast) 3 days;

June 2022 – (Hadrian’s Wall) 3 days;

July 2022 – (NC 500) 7 days;

August 2022 – (North Wales coast) 3 days;

September 2022 – (Isle of White) 3 days;

I have also competed in a National Paracycling event for my new racing team 365 in April in Nottingham."

So even though Shane has swapped his motorcycle for a bicycle, his message hasn’t changed.

Open your eyes and Listen. 

Visit Shane's website : The Man That Speaks |