Olympic ski jumper Nick Fairall suffered serious injuries in a fall while ski jumping in Bischofshofen, Austria in January. As the month of June began, he updated his fans on his well-being and steady recovery.
Due to the crash, the 25 year old fractured two ribs, punctured his lung, bruised his kidney, had internal bleeding and fractured and dislocated his L1 vertebrae. The vertebrae injury triggered paralysis in his legs.
On Monday, Fairall made a statement thanking his supporters. “I cannot even begin to explain how grateful I am for all the support from fans, family, and friends,” wrote Fairall. “The support you have shown me is truly overwhelming and has helped me to get through one of the hardest times in my life."
Nick Fairall after his crash in Austria.
Fairall is back in the states after a month in an Austrian hospital and is working hard of his rehab. “Each day I am making progress, little by little,” wrote Fairall. “After nearly 5 months of intensive rehabilitation, I now have more feeling in my legs and some movement in my thighs.”
His goal is to make it back to ski jumping and works daily in an outpatient rehab center to achieve that. Acknowledging that spinal cord injuries take time to recover from, Fairall states that he continues to work towards being back on skis.
The U.S. Nordic Ski Team and everyone at the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association wish Fairall the best in his recovery.
