Top New Zealand freestyle motocross rider "Scary" Mary Perkins is facing the likely end of her career after breaking both legs and dislocating an ankle in a crash last month.

The 26-year-old, the Guiness World Record holder for the largest jump by a woman and voted the world's best female freestyle motocross rider, was told she had an 80 percent chance of losing her left leg after she dropped four meters off the side of a ramp on December 14. A metal rod in her leg from a previous accident crushed her ankle so bad giving it a small chance of healing.

That didn't eventuate and Perkins from Te Puke is taking the accident in her stride, although they have informed her that the titanium rods and metal plate inserted will never be removed!

She was discharged from hospital last week but faces at least three months of recovery in a wheelchair.

She has a clear memory of the accident, which took place on her property beside State Highway 2 between Papamoa and Te Puke. Shortly before 7pm she was training on the ramp jump at her private motocross track, when she tried to lower her speed and her brakes locked. She flew over the ramp and came over the side, dropping four meters onto flat ground but landing in complete control of her bike, both legs broke on impact.

She was taken to Tauranga Hospital by St John ambulance and had two hours of surgery on her ankle that night with an external fixture put in place to straighten the dislocated ankle and reduce swelling for further surgery.

She had another three hours of surgery a few days later and more on Christmas Eve, leaving her with a rod in her right leg, a metal plate in her left ankle and casts to protect them.

Mary has made no final decision on her return to the sport of Freestyle Motocross but doctors have advised against it. If she were to damage her left leg again with all the metal in there it would cause huge complications and very likely be amputated.