Two-time MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner has expressed his appreciation for the outpouring of support he received globally after revealing he is suffering with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Stoner, who retired at the conclusion of the 2012 MotoGP season aged just 27, told Greg Rust’s Rusty’s Garage podcast last week that he has been forced to give up all strenuous physical activity due to an illness that saps his energy and leaves him ‘on the couch for days’ afterwards.
The Australian has maintained a relatively low profile since exiting the sport, his on-track activities limited to a brief sojourn in the V8 Supercar touring car series, the Suzuka 8 Hours and a handful of testing outings for Honda and Ducati.
However, he says even recreational karting and riding has been halted so that he can address his ongoing health problems.
“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 told the podcast at the time. “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.”
The honest revelation prompted a wave of support from inside the motorcycle racing community and beyond, a reaction that Stoner touched on in a recent Instagram post writing:
"I’m humbled by the response to my recent podcast with Greg Rust where I shared my current challenge with suffering Chronic Fatigue. I’d just like to thank all my fans and the moto industry for your thoughts and well wishes, they mean a lot!"
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.
