Dani Hill is as resilient as Ever

Returning to harness racing driving remains an if, not when for seven-time South Australian champion Dani Hill.

The remarkable and resilient 38-year-old, who has been plagued by nasty race falls through a stellar harness racing career, and was to undergo major and crucial back surgery on Wednesday.

But, in the latest cruel setback, the vital operation was postponed just hours before it scheduled.

“It’s the second time it’s been postponed. It was due early last month. I don’t have a new date, yet,” a deflated Hill said.

When the finally has the surgery, quality of life rather than building on her almost 2300 career wins is the goal.

“It’s a wait and see how it goes,” Hill said. “I’m not having the surgery so I can drive again, I’m having it to reduce the agonising pain I’m in every day and, hopefully, get some mobility back to exercise and enjoy my time with my daughter, Brooke.

“It’s time to put my mind and body first. I love being out there (driving), but I’m mindful of the hardware I’ve got in my body, the head injuries I’ve had and the number of bad falls I’ve been through.

“Getting through this surgery, recovering and my long term health is the priority.”

Hill’s surgery will involve having screws inserted in the front of her spin and rods in the back.

“They can’t just do the front because my spine is so damaged, it might collapse. So, they’re putting the rods in the back to hold it all together,” she said.

“The surgeon has said it’ll be at least six months to recover and before I can even think of driving again.”

Hill, who boasts 2267 wins and has won the past seven SA driving premierships, bowed out in style with six drives, netting two wins and three placings at Globe Derby last Saturday. She heads to the Royal Adelaide hospital with a 22-win lead over brother, Wayne, in this year’s SA premiership.

Falls have plagued Hill’s career with the most notable coming when just 24 back in 2010. She suffered a broken jaw, cheekbone and nose and a sunken eye socket which severed her optic nerve and left her blind in the right eye.

“There wasn’t a mark on my helmet, the horse stepped on my face,” Hill said. “I can’t remember much about the day at all.

“It was a horrible experience and so confronting to go through when I was so young and still is. Losing the sight in that eye and all the facial damage. I had so many operations after it and in the end, I’d just had enough.

“If there’s a positive from it, it changed my perspective on life. I had Brooke not long after and have always prioritised her.

“She’s a big part of wanting this surgery so much now, so I do things with her. She’s right into showing horses and it gives me such a thrill to take her to the shows and be part of it all.”

A number of falls have contributed to Hill’s back issues, including one in the 2019 SA Derby, when she shattered a leg and had 13 screws inserted into her tibia, along with another screw to hold her patella tendon to her knee cap.

The last straw came on January 21 this year with another bad fall at Globe Derby, suffering a compound fracture of the spine and herniated discs.

“I thought I knew pain, but I didn’t truly until after that fall. I’ve been waiting for this surgery since then. I can’t sit down at all and lying down is agonising, many nights I simply don’t sleep at all,” she said.

“I just want some relief from the pain to be able to do some of the normal things people do.”

by Adam Hamilton, for Harness Racing Australia