BRET MICHAELS LAUNCHES MOTORCYCLE AWARD

Rocker Bret Michaels has teamed up with motorcycle racing bosses to launch a new award for riders who have triumphed over hardship.

The Poison star, a longtime motocross supporter, has created the Bret Michaels Rock Hard-Ride Hard award with officials at the American Motorcyclist Association to celebrate the 'comeback rider' of the upcoming 2011 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season.

The winner, to be determined by rankings and fans' votes, will be handed a cash prize and a trophy at the season finale in Las Vegas in May (11).

Bret Michaels says, "It isn't whether you are going to go down, but when and how hard. It's how you roll with the punches and how you get back up that counts. This award is about recognising the hard-charging rider that overcomes the worst odds and makes an amazing recovery."

Bret Michaels is no stranger to overcoming health obstacles - last year (10), he underwent an emergency appendectomy before collapsing from a near-fatal brain haemorrhage. He also suffered a stroke and was diagnosed with a hole in his heart. The singer will undergo surgery later this month (Jan11) to close the hole.