A resident of Sarasota, Fla., by way of Indiana, Micheal Stancombe is among the most colorful characters in offshore powerboat racing. The 59-year-old throttleman, who has competed in multiple classes and shared the cockpit with his father, George, and son, Dominick, is among the offshore racing’s greatest cheerleaders.
Captured here with his fiancé Julie Lahr, Micheal Stancombe is one of offshore powerboat racing’s most joyful souls. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.
When things in the sport are going well, Stancombe is vocal about it in his signature gravelly rasp. When thing are going less than well, he champions the greater times he is certain will come. His offshore racing glass isn’t “half-full.” It’s topped off.
Always.
Last Friday night, Stancombe suffered a massive heart attack. The damage to his heart was so severe that those closest to him, folks such as his fiancé Julie Lahr and dear friend and teammate Jeff Stevenson, weren’t sure he’d live through the weekend.
But here it is, Tuesday, May 19, and Stancombe is still alive. And improving.
“Prayers are working,” Lahr wrote in a Facebook message on Sunday evening. “The cardiologist was just here and said it is astounding—his heart is healing itself. The bleeding stopped. Fever down. And if it stays like this then tomorrow or Tuesday they will take him off the heart pump and vent and wake him up.
“There are still a ton of things can go wrong and it will take him a long time to recover. But all good news,” she added.
Medical attention, especially of the cardiology specialist kind, doesn’t come cheap. Nor do the sort of extensive hospital stays Stancombe is facing. To that end, Lahr and offshore racing event organizer Michelle Petro have set up a GoFundMe campaign to help defray her future husband’s medical expenses.
Offshore racing’s greatest cheerleader, Micheal Stancombe is defying formidable odds. But he’s a long way from healed. He still needs all the help he can get.