MotoGP Champion Casey Stoner reveals he suffers with chronic fatigue

Two-time MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner has revealed he has been forced to cease all racing and sporting activity after receiving a diagnosis for chronic fatigue that he says can leave him ‘on the couch for a week’.

The Australian is considered one of motorcycling’s most skilled racers having clinched the 2007 (Ducati) and 2011 (Honda) MotoGP World Championship titles before sensationally quitting the sport aged just 27.

Citing his displeasure for handling media commitments and a desire to focus on his family as a justification for hanging up his leathers, Stoner has actively stayed out of the spotlight since, with his two-wheel exploits limited to testing duties with Honda and Ducati, plus a Suzuka 8 Hours showing.

Since then, however, Stoner says he has struggled further with physical problems, revealing on the Rusty’s Garage podcast that he is unable to participate in sports because of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome that saps energy, whether that’s karting or even archery.

“I haven’t been out (in a kart) in over a year now probably, because of chronic fatigue, I don’t have the energy to get out there anymore,” he said. “I don’t have the energy to go out there and do that for the day it will put me on the couch for another week.

“I haven’t done the things that I enjoy a lot these days. It’s been a little frustrating. I haven’t pulled an (archery) bow back in probably 10 months or more.

“Basically, what happens, with the chronic fatigue I’m not able to keep myself fit and healthy.

Casey Stoner: I’ve been improving with medication

Revealing he also continues to suffer physical problems with his ribs and back, though Stoner says he is faring better with the fatigue since going onto medication, he admits it is a stress on his family if he exerts himself.

“I’ve got a problem where my ribs go out often, and they’re connected to your vertebrae. They’ll go out of place and that puts my back out. I’ve already got leaking discs, so that puts pressure on my disc and that will spray a little bit of liquid out, and that puts pressure on your nerve and then you have a spasm, and that’s a good week before you can properly start to put some weight on it again.

“These last few months I’ve been improving with some new medication that I’m on, but I’m still nowhere near training and getting out and doing things.

“Otherwise it just puts me on the couch for a good week or so, or at least four or five days, and that makes it hard on the wife.

“The first time I’ve been on a road-based bike since January last year, which was testing, was only a couple of weeks ago when I was in the US on my birthday for an Alpinestars event.

“We did a little bit of riding around with a few guys. We didn’t push or anything, but it took it out of me enough.”

Though his MotoGP career was relatively brief with 115 starts to his name, Stoner’s tenure at the highest level still yielded two world titles, 38 victories and 69 podiums.