Maria Costello calls Isle of Man TT recovery “the biggest challenge of my life”
Maria Costello has provided an update on her recovery, after the former TT podium finisher was left paralysed by an accident at the 2026 Isle of Man TT.
Popular road racer Maria Costello says “the past four weeks have been the biggest challenge of my life”, after she was involved in a major sidecar accident at the Isle of Man TT.
Costello was involved in a crash during the opening Sidecar qualifying session on 26 May, which led to her receiving treatment at Noble’s hospital. Costello was then transferred to Aintree in order to continue her recovery.
A fundraiser was then started to support her recovery, which also confirmed the long list of serious injuries she suffered. Costello suffered paralysis from the T5/T6 vertebrae down, alongside a broken back involving fractures to both vertebrae, a broken arm, multiple broken ribs, a broken sternum, a broken nose and eye socket, as well as a Grade 4 liver laceration and facial injuries.
Costello’s accident was one of several crashes involving sidecars, which eventually resulted in the Sidecar TT being suspended from the 2026 event.
The former Isle of Man TT podium finisher has since taken to social media to provide her own recovery update, saying:
“The past four weeks have been the biggest challenge of my life and I know I’m lucky to be here. This is only the start of my new journey but your support means everything!
“Words can’t express how grateful I am to those who tended to me at the scene and my immense thanks go to all the staff at Nobles who then got me to Aintree. I have some incredible people to thank who are now looking after me here at the Waltham Centre, including my surgeon, medical team, nurses and HCAs.
“Special thanks to my family, Alan, Dale, my team and all those who have been by my side and sending Shaun all my well wishes as he continues his recovery. It’s such a lot to take in and on the difficult days, it’s YOUR unbelievable support that has made all the difference. I’m blown away by all of it and especially the financial support - thank you from the bottom of my heart to each and every one of you for donating.”
People can help Costello with her recovery by donating to the fundraiser, which has a target of £300,000. You can donate on the official webpage.
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After graduating with a sports journalism degree, Robert joined Crash.net to lead the WorldSBK coverage in 2021, while also providing MotoGP coverage. Fulfilling that role for over three years, Robert was able to put his knowledge about all things racing to the test.
