'it Toughens You Up, Nothing Can You Prepare You For It'

ByAndy Gray

BBC Sport NI Journalist

Warning: This article contains themes of suicide, aforesaid harm and intelligence health

A 22-year-old motorcycle racer stepping astir a paddock successful a apical chapeau is going to guidelines out.

But that is nan full constituent for Storm Stacey. It's a speech starter, a measurement to promote group to unfastened up astir their feelings.

He was 13 years of property erstwhile he discovered his dada had died by suicide, and it has shaped his path, not only arsenic a sportsman, but really he interacts done life.

"You wouldn't wish it connected your worst force and thing tin hole you for that," Stacey said on nan BBC Bikes podcast.

"But do you cognize what? It toughens you up. I could person gone down nan roadworthy of drugs, partying, gone disconnected nan rails, astir apt beryllium successful prison.

"But what kept maine going was motorbike racing. It gave maine intent and thing to do, thing to support fighting for, to support progressing and support going."

Engines are successful Stacey's DNA. His first rode a motorbike astatine conscionable 3 years of property and he sewage a emotion of some motorcycles and cars from his precocious father.

A emotion of classical cars comes from his father, including a 1966 Ford Mustang that was handed down to him.

His postulation is extended and ranges from a Rolls-Royce, a Dodge Ram to a Ford Fiesta R2 rally car.

He was moreover named aft a Lister Storm, a rare, historical British sportscar from nan 1990s.

But, contempt his emotion for bikes, Stacey had very small liking successful watching them race.

When his dada suggested going to watch MotoGP aliases World Superbikes astatine Donington Park aliases Silverstone, Stacey didn't want to go.

"Even if I did go, I'd beryllium pulling nan writer retired nan level and worldly for illustration that. I wasn't watching nan racing because I wanted to do it. I wanted to thrust nan bike.

"I sewage really jealous. I spot group doing worldly and I want to do it. I'm not a bully watcher astatine all.

"I'd opportunity location is simply a bug to race, but there's much jealousy."

After Stacey's begetter passed away, his mum utilized "the past bits of money we had" to salary for his play successful 2019.

The one-year bet paid off. He almost won nan British Superstock 600 title and earned a thrust successful nan British Superbike championship.

"I said to Mum, 'right, this is 1 year, we'll do it now', and if it don't activity retired now past we'll sound it connected nan head.

"You perceive things for illustration nan parents of Casey Stoner [a two-time MotoGP champion] sold nan location and worldly for illustration that.

"Fair play, it's absolute commitment, but it's excessively uncertain to return risks for illustration that for maine and for my family."

Stacey stepped up to nan British Superbike Championship successful 2020, and only missed retired connected becoming nan youngest rider successful nan series' history owed to nan delayed commencement of nan play owed to nan Covid pandemic.

He won his first title successful 2024, and will return to nan title successful 2026 pinch Batham's Racing.

So erstwhile you spot a apical chapeau erstwhile astatine nan circuits, you don't conscionable spot a apical racer, but besides personification who is unfastened astir really he feels.

For Stacey, nan eccentric headwear is his "armour" and an "accessory" to talk astir intelligence health.

"People emotion it, group get down it, and it's my armour.

"I've ever wore it, and my dada wore eccentric hats, he wore cowboy hats, apical hats, and apical chapeau ever stuck a batch towards nan end.

"That's why I deterioration it, successful representation of my dada and to put my ft successful nan crushed and effort and alteration nan antheral mindset to speak retired to people, because men don't. People spot it arsenic a weakness, but it's not."

Stacey said his "inbox is ever open" and added, "I'm not a superstar, I'm conscionable a lad that rides motorbikes".

"You'd alternatively talk to personification than spell to their funeral.

"With situations successful life, termination isn't nan measurement out. There is simply a batch different ways retired earlier suicide, immoderate business you get yourself into, and I conscionable dream much group tin travel to position pinch that."

Stacey will make his debut astatine nan North West 200 roadworthy title pinch Batham's Racing successful May and said it was an "itch I request to scratch".

"The North West is simply a container I'd really for illustration to tick", he said.

"Racing astatine 200 miles per hour, 5 abreast and slipstream successful turbulence. It's a full caller realm of worldly I've ne'er had to woody with.

"The closest I've travel to slipstream for illustration that would beryllium Thruxton successful nan power and that is conscionable ridiculous successful itself."

Stacey believes he tin situation for nan British Superbike title this play and while he admits nan dangers of roadworthy racing could jeopardise his hopes, he says "you've sewage to unrecorded your life".

"I'll unfastened up now and say, I americium really tense astir doing nan North West," he said.

"I'm tense astir BSB too. I'm tense astir nan full thing.

"I'm petrified astir it going wrong. I really want it to spell right, and connected that soul weakness, because if I tin hit them all, I will.

"I'm nervous, but nerves are good."

If you person been affected by issues raised successful this article, location is accusation and support disposable connected BBC Action Line.