Richard Branson Praises Helmet for Saving His Life in Brutal Bike Crash

Richard Branson thought he was going to die this week.

The billionaire entrepreneur was thrown off his bike earlier this week in the British Virgin Islands.

Branson was on the cycling trip as part of his training for a month-long, Virgin-branded fundraising event, The Virgin Strive Challenge.

He was heading down a hill when his bike hit a speed bump, tossing him into the air. His bike went flying over a cliff and disappeared. It was later retrieved in a crumpled mess.

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Image: Virgin.com

“I really thought I was going to die,” he said in an online blog post. “Fortunately my shoulder and cheek took the brunt of the impact, and I was wearing a helmet that saved my life.”

By “brunt of the impact,” he is referring to a bruised and bloodied face, complete with a cracked cheek and some torn ligaments. He also suggested that someone should make helmets that protect the side of the face. That someone should probably be him.

Not one to wallow in self-pity, Branson is trying to stay positive about the whole thing.

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Image: Virgin.com

“My attitude has always been, ‘if you fall flat on your face, at least you’re moving forward. All you have to do is get back up and try again’. At least I’m practicing what I preach – though a little too literally.”

He still plans to complete the Virgin Strive Challenge next month and says his biggest challenge is having to drink tea out of a straw.

The moral of the story? Even fun-loving billionaires have bad days – and you should always wear a helmet.

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