Oh, Kevin Hart, what have you gotten yourself into now? The comedian and actor recently found himself in a wheelchair after attempting a spirited competition with his friend, former NFL running back Stevan Ridley. It seems that Hart’s eagerness to prove himself as the fastest ended with some unfortunate consequences.
Hart, now 44 years old, candidly shared the tale of his race mishap. He explained, “Me and Steven got into a little debate. This debate was based off of who was faster.” What started as a friendly wager on the outcome of a 40-yard dash quickly escalated into a race that left Hart with more than just bruised pride.
As Hart recounted the story, he revealed the extent of his injuries. “I tore my lower abdomen and abductors – muscles found in the hip: ‘I don’t even know what that is, but I tore them. I tore those too,’” he explained with a hint of self-deprecating humor. Unfortunately for Hart, his injuries were severe enough that he found himself unable to walk.
In light of his misfortune, famous friends like Jamie Foxx offered their words of support in the comments, while Hart’s wife, Eniko Parrish, couldn’t help but tease him, joking on Instagram, “I bet next time you’ll listen to me!” Even Ridley joined in on the lighthearted banter, confessing in a video on Instagram, “It’s really not my fault… I tried to warn you, and I didn’t want to do it.”
Despite this setback, Hart remains in good spirits, as evidenced by his social media updates. In a recent video, he shared that his recovery would take approximately six to eight weeks. And while some may question his decision to push himself at his age, research has shown that feeling younger is often linked to better health. Many athletes even continue to compete well into their 80s.
Runner’s World couldn’t help but poke fun at the situation, saying, “We wish Hart a speedy recovery, but respectfully disagree that he’s ‘the stupidest man alive’ for trying to reach top speed over the age of 40. He probably just didn’t warm up properly.”
They also noted that Hart may have struggled to beat Ridley, who had impressive high school personal bests of 11.25 seconds for the 100 meters and 23.42 seconds for the 200 meters, but at least he might have “not have left the track in a wheelchair.”
In the face of criticism regarding his fitness, Hart fired back in an Instagram video, stating that his injuries had “nothing to do with being in shape.” He challenged anyone to recall the last time they ran an all-out sprint, emphasizing the physical demand it entails.
This isn’t the first time Hart has faced physical challenges. In 2019, he was involved in a car accident and revealed in an interview the following year that his doctors informed him he would have been paralyzed if not for his exceptional physical condition.
So here’s to Kevin Hart and his misadventures – a reminder for all of us to be mindful of our limits, even in the pursuit of friendly competition. We applaud his resilience and wish him a speedy recovery as he bounces back from this unexpected setback.
