One of the most frequent questions I often get and that has been asked in my Facebook group is how long will it take for me to get back to doing the thing(s) that I used to do. Usually they refer to something sports or activity related. Skiing has been a frequent question as it is one I asked myself when I went through my first account of QTR. Skiing has been a passion of mine since I learned when I was just 4 years old. Recovery time with a quad tendon rupture and getting back to snow skiing will vary from person to person. Many variables will come into play on the speed of recovery such as age, prior fitness level, physical therapy and more. For me, it took about 10 months to get back on the mountain and try my hand again with downhill skiing. My injured leg felt very week and I was extremely nervous going down the ski run and making my long and careful turns, but I managed just fine. I had to take frequent brakes as my injured leg didn’t have the strength or stamina to keep up with my good leg.
It was ironic how the thing I wanted to get back to doing is what would have me suffer the worst injury in my history of injuries. I suffered the dreaded bilateral quad rupture WHILE snow skiing about 6 years later from my first quad rupture. You can read my full story HERE, but the short version was I ruptured both quads going off of a jump and landing on hard pack that felt like cement. I waited to get back on the slopes much longer then the second time I had quad ruptures. Three years had gone by before I ventured back on the hill and I was wondering how my legs would do even though it had been such a long time, but I knew deep down inside that they would hold up just fine. However, there is always the feeling of uneasiness for me with doing the exact same activity that resulted in the original injury.
I made it a point to ski again with my friend Jill who was the one who was there that fateful morning in 2013 and took those photos of me lying down in the snow surrounded by the three ski patrol personnel. So I had to make sure that I get a few photos of me near the exact spot looking as goofy as can be.
It took only a few runs for me to be warmed up enough to ski a little faster and carve some nice turns. We started on the Hogsback chair and went down it a couple of times before going over to the Skyline chairlift. The visibility sucked for sure as it was very overcast and it was hard to see the in the beginning but later in the day the sun crept out and made for better visibility and more enjoyable skiing. We decided to try the backside of Steven’s Pass in hopes of better snow, but no such luck. It was the same kind of slushy condition but we made the best of it and got in some really nice runs. There was even a new trail that I have never seen before that made for some great turns in between the tree line.
After a few runs on the backside we decided to break for lunch and reflect back on the event that took place in 2013. There was a point in my life some time ago that I actually thought I would never ski again. It was fear taking over because I didn’t want to take another chance of having a third encounter of this dreaded injury. Jill said she was proud of me that I came back to ski again and I was too.
Skiing has been a part of my life since the age of 4 when my dad taught me and my brother how to ski in Austria. Unlike my brother, I kept skiing and got better and better which made skiing so much more enjoyable. Like bodybuilding/working out, it has become a lifestyle for me and it isn’t something I can just give up. I plan to ski until the day comes that I can no longer do so, but until that day comes I look forward to many more years of fantastic powder shredding.
My plan for the next upcoming years is to travel to some more amazing ski destinations. I had the pleasure of skiing Utah back in 2009 and it was some of the most amazing skiing that I have ever done. If you are reading this and are a fellow QTR recipient and are a skier, please share your story with me for I would love to hear about your amazing journey.
