INSPIRATIONAL
ANDREW STROUD Supernaturally Faster Than The Speed Of Light with JANET BALCOMBE
N
Clockwise from top left: Game face – leading the pack; Andrew with John Britten after winning Bathurst 1993; Andrew and Karyn on their wedding day; 20th anniversary John Britten Tribute meeting, Ruapuna 2015; Andrew, Karyn and the kids (left to right) Jesse, Mac, Amea, Elsie, Maddy, Jacob, Lucia, Bella, Caleb, Joe with the Britten bikes
ew Zealand motorcycle racer Andrew Stroud has his own Wikipedia page, and for very good reason. But there is much more to this champion than just smashing world records and winning races for nearly three decades. You just don’t expect to find a solid family man and father of ten under a helmet of winning races on some of the world’s fastest motorbikes. But even more surprising is that Andrew is not just an occasional church-goer, but a deeply spiritual man. Andrew was born in 1967 and spent his early years in Upper Hutt. The Stroud kids were the wild ones in the street. His hard drinking Dad managed a liquor store and moved the family to Auckland when Andrew was aged 5. Andrew was shy at school but was always wild at heart and often clashed with his Dad. His parents separated for a year when Andrew was 8. During their separation, Andrew’s Mum had a heavenly experience during a severe epileptic seizure aggravated by alcohol and pills. She came around to find a neighbour praying over her and she felt like a new person. She started reading the Bible a lot and taking the family to church. Barbara Stroud went on to write a book called Through Troubled Waters. Andrew’s Dad liked the change in his wife and they were reconciled. Andrew’s interest in bikes took him down to Christchurch to ride the famous New Zealand built Britten bike where he met his wife-to-be, Karyn. Her first words to him were, “Are you a Christian?” He was 25 and had just made a decision for Jesus at Summer Harvest, a Youth for Christ gathering on Bill Subritzky’s farmland at Keri Keri, so he said, “Yes.” They only talked for a few minutes but the next day she called her mum and told her she’d just met the man she was going to marry.
10 | Christian Life Issue Forty-One December 2016/January 2017
Andrew’s racing career took him overseas and they kept in touch with the odd phone call. A few months later after his sister’s home group one night, the scripture, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…” really became a reality for Andrew. In opening the door he was totally overwhelmed with a love that he’d never known before. “It was like a new life had begun, one with substance and purpose.” The next day he bought the audio Bible on tape and listened to it as he travelled around the world. He couldn’t get enough of it, and still can’t. “After accepting God I couldn’t even swear without my conscience being tweaked. I couldn’t enjoy going out with my old mates drinking because I didn’t want to lose this feeling that I had.” Andrew’s racing achievements include 9 NZ Superbike championships, competed in 41 World Superbike races, 20 FIM 500 GP’s, 1 Isle of Man and 3 24hours World endurance races. He won the inaugural World B.E.A.R.S Series on a Britten bike three weeks before his friend, John Britten, died. In 1995 (on a Britten), he won the European Pro-Twins at Assen and soon after put a Kawasaki Superbike on position for the World Endurance Championship round at the same track. Andrew won at Daytona on Britten in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 setting the fastest top speed recorded by any motorcycle at Daytona in the 1994 race (189 mp/h or 305 km/h). In 1997 he also won the American AMA formula Xtreme Championship. I could go on, but I won’t. Close friend John Britten, went on to give his life to Jesus after being diagnosed with cancer. “It was amazing seeing John have this experience before he died”. Andrew was anointed to race and walked away from 50+ racing crashes