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Weblog post on Saturday, May 22, 2004 re: Fred Belair in hospital with a stroke
I'm on my way to a hospital in LA to visit my dad, Fred Belair, who suffered a stroke yesterday. I'll update this blog post with a report on his condition as soon as I can.
In the meantime, please use the new Comment feature we've installed to attach your best wishes and prayers to this post.
My dad was the founder of the El Trial de Espana and the 35th ETdE is being held this weekend in Reed Valley, CA. See their History page for more.
"Created by Fred Belair, the ETdE event has helped promote trials in the United States and has even managed to draw international recognition.
Belair's dream was to 'provide the basis for an American to become World Trials Champion,' and that hope was realized at the hands of American Bernie Schreiber in 1979. To this day, Schreiber remains the only American to have ever reached the sport's pinnacle. But the El Trial de Espana event continues to live on."
Posted by Martin Belair at 10:52 AM
Comments
Griff Wigley said...
It's been one of my lifelong goals to ride the El Trial before I get too old (I'm just a youthful 54) and I'm planning doing it next year.
So Martin, please tell your dad to get well because I want to meet the guy who started it all and whose son is helping to keep the legacy of observed trials alive and well in the USA.
Hang in there both of you.
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Our thoughts are with you. best wishes for a speedy recovery. Andy, Scotland, UK
We all wish for your health and recovery here in Spain. We will be waiting for news of a speedy recovery. Best wishes
Peter (Tenerife, Canary Islands)
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Our thoughts, love and prayers are with you and your family Martin. Take care of each other! Lots of Love, Jean and Dan
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My best wishes to you and your family. Let me know if there is anything I can do.
Vernon Faz
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Speedy recovery along with Our Prayers to All the Belairs
The Micket Family, Florida
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We wish you a speedy recovery and our best wishes to you and your family. Sandra, Arthur, and Gary Macdonald, Scotland.
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Best wishes for a speedy recovery. You and your family will be in out thoughts and prayers
James Randy
Chicago, IL
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Claes Bjorkdahl Sweden said...
Hope your father will get ok.
Regards Claes Bjorkdahl
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Mr Belair
Really dont want to be annonymous but cant seem to join. Hope you are feeling better an we are all thinking about you. My family have suffered fron strokes/heart disease since we can remember, runs un the family. Take care
Gary, Sandra, Arthur Macdonald, Scoltand
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Dear Martin and Family -- Our prayers are with you during this troublesome time. We will be praying for a speedy and complete recovery for your father. May God bless each of you!
Barry, Jean and Chris Florin
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Martin,
Our thoughts and best wishes are with your father, you and your family.
Brett Cooper
Austin, Texas
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Martin, your family & your father are in our prayers. One of my first trials memories was the 1974 ETdE. Many years & Montesa bikes later, I still remember your dad loaning me a part at an early ATA trials event. Best wishes for his speedy recovery.
Don Buxton
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Dear Martin and family.We wish speedy and complete recovery for your father, who is loved by everyone in trials community.Looking forward to see you all at the paddock again.
Tommi Ahvala and family
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Martin, My prayers and those of my family are with you and your father. Your dad is one of the founding fathers of our sport in America, and we all pray for a complete recovery.
Doug Radwick, and family
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Thoughts and prayers are with you and your father.
Best wishes, Martin.
Charlie Frey
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Martin,
I hope Fred gets well soon.
My prayers are for your fathers speedy recovery.
Craig Gernhardt
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Our thoughts are with you and your family. We wish Mr. Belair a speedy recovery.
Love, Ian, Lisa and Brent
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CARLOSCASAS said...
Best wishes from Catalonia-Spain. Martin espero que tu padre se ponga bien muy pronto.I know that you are very good in Spanish language. Hasta pronto.
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Martin, we hope your father has a full and speedy recovery. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Mark, Peggy and Andrew Buczkowski
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Matt said...
Hey Martin, was going to call you today just to let you hear through the phone, the noise these Red Eye Cicadas are making here, because had to use ear plugs to mow the lawn, not from the mower (the old, noisy Lawn Boy 2-stroke BTW ;>0), but from the damn Cicadas,the noise level is unreal!
Then saw the news of your Dad.... just very sorry to hear this, and I hope, but know everything will be OK. Will see you in CO.
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MARTIN, OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. WE WILL BE PRAYING FOR A SPEEDY RECOVERY FOR YOUR FATHER. STEVE, BETTY AND ANDY BOWMAN
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Hello Martin,
I have great faith in modern medicine and the power of all of the prayers for your father. I look forward to seeing you at the World Round in Duluth and learning of his recovery. Jack Chermak, Monticello Minnesota.
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Hi Martin and Family, Many, Many best wishes to you all for your Dad's speedy recovery.
My dad's saying was "I never bred a jibber" - I know you were brought up much the same way. Take care.
Caroline Sandiford Braybrook
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Martin,
Fred was mentioned at the riders meeting before the 35th El Trial de Espana this weekend, and we all said a prayer for his quick recovery. Please let Fred know that we are thinking of him and wish him a full and speedy recovery. Best regards, Richard Delaney and family.
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Martin:
You and your father are in our thoughts and prayers.
Keep the faith!!!
The Smiths
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ringo said...
Martin,
Bill Markum held a prayer at El Trial de Espana for Fred. I pray that God help you, your father, and your family through this difficult time. Continue to be the strong individual that you are.
Johnny
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Martin,
My best wishes to you and your family. A speedy and complete recovery for your father. Our thoughts and our prayers to the Belairs.
The Wipff family--Texas
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Martin- our thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery are with you and your family. The Villands
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Martin and family,
Our prayers go out your family and you. We hope evreything goes well and fast.
Chad and Susan Kimbrell
Aiken, SC
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RYAN YOUNG said...
Martin,
I hope your dad has a full recovery. Our thoughts will be with you and your family.
Sincerely,
Ryan Young
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Dearest Martin,
I just learned of your dad's illness. Please call me if there is ANYTHING I can do for you or your family. I will fly out if you think it will help.
Regards, Hub Brennan
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To the Belair Family,
You have our best wishes for Fred's health.
May Fred see many more "little helmets" buzzing around the fields.
Don & Jane
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Martin,
I am sorry to hear about your dad. I hope he recovers well, my thoughts and prayers will be for you and your family.
Chris Hertrich
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Martin,
So sorry to hear about your Dad. Please let "old Fred" know that I will be praying for him and of course doing the same for you and the family. Dad will be calling to bug him as soon as we have a number.
Kerrie
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Ian B. said...
Just read the update on your dad Martin. Sounds like he is making progress. He needs your strength to give him strength.
Love, Ian, Lisa and Brent.
PS. Something that might make him smile.... Tell him we checked into the Bank of Banfield and unfortunately there is no relation.....Looks like we still have to work.
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Tom Golden said...
Martin,
Best wishes to your Dad and the entire family. Hang in there.
Tom
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Martin, just wanted to send my best wishes for you, your dad and your family. Good luck!
Regards,
Bentley Wolfe
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Martin,
My thoughts and best wishes are with your father, you and your family.
Don L
Colorado
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Martin,
Our prayers and thoughts are with you and your family.
The Sileo's
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Dear Fred,
So glad to hear you are doing better and still have your sense of humor. Martin told me the story of your nurse with the diamond stud in her nose and that you had asked her to sneeze in your direction so you could catch it! Classic Fred!
Your ability to make great things happen has always amazed me, and I know you will make the best of this challenge.
Gods speed, Senior Belair
Richard D.
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Dennis Ziolkowski said...
I do not know Mr. Belair, but I know Martin very well and I would like to pass on to you my prayers and wishes for a speedy recovery.
Dennis
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Martin, hope that your father has a speedy recovery and that he gets better real soon! I met you down at the Centerville, Texas round in 2003 and you treated me as if I was one of your best friend's. That meant alot to me and just wanted to say that I will keep your Dad in my prayers. Hope to see you in Duluth! Sincerely, Kyle Morris from Texas
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Fred,
You and your family are in our hearts and our prayers.
-Knowles Family
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Seguimos frecuentemente vuestra pagina web donde hemos sabido del problema de Mr Fred Belair. Nuetros mejores deseos de una pronta y total recuperación.
Laia Sanz, Jesús Sanz, Barcelona Spain
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Jean Florin said...
Hello Martin -- It is so good to hear the great news and we will definitely keep offering up prayers for your Dad and all of you, the nurses, and the doctors who are caring for your dad. If he is anything like Chris's Grandmother, who is also in the hospital, she has no qualms about putting anyone in their place; or else she just politely agrees with them while they are in her room, and then she does as she pleases anyway. I can't wait to hear the story about the nurse with the diamond, and I'm sure by the time this is all over, you will have plenty of other funny, miraculous, and fantastic stories to share, as will we! Hello Fred -- I'm sure you know that nobody tells a story like your son. He is definitely "one of a kind" and I especially will be very happy when you regain all of your strength so he can get back to doing his "fine" job of catching my son.
So see, you now have two things you can be very proud of -- Martin is one of the greatest story tellers and there is no better catcher on the circuit! And don't tell him I said so, because it just might go to his head, but you did a great job raising him to be a fine young man! We talked to Chris a few nights ago and he even admitted he was going to miss Martin in Colorado, but he will do his best to make us all proud. P.S. Martin - getting back to business, Barry sold his bike today. Please, please, please make sure you have his name ear-marked on one of the new four strokes in the very first shipment or else he will be driving me absolutely crazy around the house!! I can tell already its going to be a long summer but I guess I can always pray for plenty of waves so that can keep him busy too. Take care and please continue to keep us all posted.
Love, Jean
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Gary Barton said...
Happy to hear that Fred is doing better. Best wishes for a speedy and full recovery. Martin, I hope to see you at Duluth.
Gary Barton and the Mid-America Trials Team, Kansas City
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As longtime admirers of Mr. Belair and his family, we want to express our sadness of the news from Martin. It's heartening to hear that Mr. Belair is on the road to recovery. He has our best wishes for consistent progress toward regaining his health.
- Don Williams & Kelly Callan
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Hi Fred & Family,
Those of us who hail from the Southern Hemisphere are a hearty bunch so it was pleasing to hear from Martin and Mike that you were on the road to recovery. I know you will keep those nurses and staff busy with your charm and wit. We think of you often at the Croft household and on my return from Duluth will try to come by and visit.
Lots of love, your friend from down under Pete Croft & Family.
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Martin,
Just got back in town and heard the news. My thoughts are with you and your Father. Hope all is well.
Mark Lawson
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Hi Fred,
I met your son, Martin, a year ago in Laguna Beach, California. I caught his eye while riding my bike trials bike in a parking lot, and ended up talking to him and Chris (a mototrials rider from Florida) for quite a while. You certainly have a passionate and genuine son! I'd imagine that he picked that up from you! If I remember right, the day I met him was several days before the El Trial de Espana, which I just found out that you started!
As the owner of BikeTrials.com, which is dedicated to the bike trials off-shoot of observed motorcycle trials, I'm certainly appreciative of your work to promote trials in the United States. Thank you!
I hope this message brings you a smile and perhaps even a laugh or two! I will keep you in my prayers.
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Dear Fred: I have still two trial dreams to became real. One is runnig to SSDT Pre 65, and the other one is going there to run El Trial de Espana with my cota. Please get right and keep a place at El Trial for me. I have you in my prayers. Best Regards. Chema Carrion. Spain.
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Martin,
All the best to your Father! I don't think I've ever met a more genuine fellow......his son's not too bad of a guy either!
My prayers are with ya'll.
Sheldon Hefler
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