Comedian Kevin Hart revealed he is in a wheelchair after racing former NFL running back Stevan Ridley.
He posted the announcement to Instagram and started off by saying, “Whelp.”
He joked, “You know it’s gonna be bad anytime somebody starts off by saying ‘whelp,’ it’s bad.
Hart then noted that “The age 40 is real,” and said, “It’s not a game. Respect that age or that age will make you respect it.”
“I’m in a wheelchair,” he revealed.
He added, “I tried to go out there and do some young man stuff.”
Hart went on to explain how he and his friend Stevan Ridley debated who is faster, and they made a bet to see who can run faster in a 40-yard dash.
During the race, Hart tore multiple muscles. He said, “Tore my lower abdomen, my abductors; I don’t even know what that is, but I tore them.”
“I can’t walk,” he declared.
“This is 44.” Hart mocked himself and added, “It’s over.”
He joked that he needs to “Sit down!” and asked, “What are we competing for at this age?”
Despite Hart concluding that his age was a main factor in his condition, sports injuries are common for Americans of all ages. Johns Hopkins Medicine reported that 3.5 million children experience sports-related injuries each year.
In addition, the NFL has noted that nearly 75% of injury-related time off for league players is due to hamstring injuries. This has become such an issue that in 2021, the league awarded $4 million to their Scientific Advisory Board in order to research prevention and treatment for hamstring injuries.
While the hamstring and the abductors are located in different areas of the thigh, according to the Cleveland Clinic, they are related. It was also noted that proper warm-ups and training are necessary to prevent injury.
Regardless of what the experts suggest, Hart called himself “ the stupidest man alive” at the end of his video message and concluded it with a “Whelp.”