FILE PHOTO: Cycling - UCI Track Cycling World Championships - Stab Velodrome, Roubaix, France - October 23, 2021 Netherlands' Amy Pieters and Kirsten Wild celebrate with their gold medals on the podium after winning the Women's Madison final REUTERS/Christian Hartmann/File Photo
LONDON (Reuters) - Dutch cyclist Amy Pieters has taken her first steps since suffering brain damage in a training crash almost a year ago.
The three-time Madison world champion required surgery and was put in an induced coma following the crash in Alicante in December, Spain and only regained consciousness in April.
She has been recovering at an intensive neuro-rehabilitation facility in the Netherlands.
The latest post on her website said: "With a little help, she gets up from her chair and takes her own steps. She walks for short moments when supported. This is what we like to see... We must have patience and hope. We are convinced Amy will show us some very beautiful things."
However, the post outlines the challenges Pieters still faces on a daily basis.
"Lately, it's been a little more difficult to motivate Amy with physical exertion," the post said.
"Talking is not yet possible, which makes it difficult to explain to her why not. Not being able to explain or express it is sometimes a bit difficult for her and for us.
"Fortunately, she can be motivated by playing a game."
Doctors said in April that although her condition had improved slightly and she could recognise people and understand what was being said to her, they were still unsure about the long-term impact of her brain injury.
Pieters, who rides for the SD Worx team, won the Madison at the World Championships in 2019, 2020 and 2021 alongside Kirsten Wild. She missed out on an Olympic medal in Tokyo last year, finishing fourth.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
