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‘Devastated’ Forfar firefighter raises thousands after dad’s death at motocross track

Sara Joiner gave her dad CPR for 50 minutes before he died after suffering cardiac arrest.

Sara Joiner and her dad, Alex at a motocross course.
Sara Joiner and her dad, Alex, enjoying their passion of motocross. Image: Sara Joiner

A Forfar firefighter who gave her dad CPR after he suffered cardiac arrest on a motocross track has raised thousands for potentially life-saving equipment.

Alex Joiner, 63, was riding his motocross bike when he took unwell.

Daughter Sara – who was on the course with her dad at the time – battled in vain to save him.

She administered CPR for nearly an hour before paramedics arrived at the course near Strathaven, in Lanarkshire, last June.

Sadly, Alex – the 2009 Scottish Twinshock Champion and an aviation engineer by trade – died.

But the tragedy has inspired Sara to raise thousands of pounds for defibrillators in the hope that she can save other lives.

‘It was an awful situation having to give my dad CPR’

Sara believes if a defibrillator had been available, her dad may have stood a better chance of surviving.

She told The Courier: “One minute we were riding our bikes together and the next he was not behind me.

“I raced back and found that he had suffered a massive heart attack.

“The alarm was raised but without an ambulance nearby and and no air ambulance available, I had to use the first aid skills I have as part of my job.

“It was an awful situation having to continue giving my dad CPR for over 50 minutes before the paramedics finally arrived.

Alex Joiner with his Scottish Twinshock Champion trophy in 2009.
Alex with his Scottish Twinshock trophy in 2009. image: Sara Joiner

“Sadly, my dad didn’t survive, and his loss has had a devastating effect on me and my family.

“He was mad about motocross his whole life and it was pretty much what he lived for.

“My dad is the reason I got into it and have been riding myself for the last 10 years

“We’d travel all over Scotland to ride courses and looking back, the majority of the time I spent with my dad was on a bike.

“For a long time afterwards I couldn’t face getting back on the bike.

Sara Joiner with dad, Alex out on the course.
Sara and Alex on the course. Image: Sara Joiner
Sara and her dad, Alex doing what they loved most - motocross.
The pair loved riding their motocross bikes together. Image: Sara Joiner

“I was struggling to come to terms with the loss of my dad.

“But I really didn’t want others to have to go through the same trauma.”

Sara came up with the idea of paying for a defibrillator at Duns in the Borders – her dad’s favourite course – and launched an online fundraiser.

Donations were also welcomed at Alex’s funeral in Forfar.

Thanks to these, and a number of fundraisers across Scotland, the total donated has now reached more than £15,000.

‘I can’t bear the thought of others suffering the same fate’

That money has been put to good use by paying for the machines to be installed at 11 Scottish motocross tracks.

Sara said: “I can’t bear the thought of others suffering the same fate, so decided to set up four motocross fundraisers.

“I’ve raised £15,393, which has been enough to give each course a kit.

Sara Joiner presents David Paton from Kingdom Off-road Motocorss Club in Fife with the defibrillator.
Sara presents David Paton from Kingdom Off-road Motocross Club in Fife with a defibrillator. Image: Sara Joiner
Sara hands over a defibrillator to Craig Hall at Duns Motocross Track.
Sara hands over a defibrillator to Craig Hall at Duns Motocross Track. Image: Sara Joiner

“To be able to put something back into the hobby that my dad loved and was his passion has helped the healing process.

“He lived for motocross, so if his loss helps to save others from potentially the safe fate then some good has come from it.”

Sara is now in the process of delivering the defibrillators to the tracks.

She added: “They all knew my dad and know he was motocross mad, so to have the support of the courses means a huge amount to me and my family.”

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