Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris has always had an amazing ability to quickly recover from significant injuries. His comeback from a near-fatal crash in the B.C. backcountry earlier this year is just the latest example.
鈥淚鈥檓 feeling really, really good,鈥� he said. 鈥淔or what happened, I鈥檓 doing way better than I thought I鈥檇 be doing at this point in time.鈥�
McMorris suffered breaks to his jaw and left arm, a ruptured spleen, a stable pelvic fracture, rib fractures and a collapsed left lung when he crashed off a jump on March 25. He was airlifted from Whistler to Vancouver and underwent emergency surgery to control bleeding and repair his jaw and arm.
鈥淲hen you get injured usually it鈥檚 like, 鈥極h man I鈥檓 so bummed, but I can鈥檛 wait until the next time I can snowboard,鈥欌�� McMorris said. 鈥淭his time I was like, 鈥業 can鈥檛 wait until the next time I can move again or like 芒鈧�� live.鈥�
鈥淭hat (crash) was just gnarly.鈥�
The Regina native called it a 鈥渉uge freak accident,鈥� adding his snowboard鈥檚 edge unexpectedly dug in on the soft snow. He couldn鈥檛 stop himself from drifting too far left and into the tree.
鈥淚 just whacked it out of mid-air,鈥� McMorris said. 鈥淚t was not a small tree and (it didn鈥檛 have) branches on it. I hit it all on my left side. I did a front-side 360 and as I turned around it was just like right there. And then it was just 鈥� boom. I broke everything, like 16 bones or something in one hit. That鈥檚 like a car crash.鈥�
The 2014 Olympic slopestyle bronze medallist was with his older brother Craig, also an elite snowboarder, and credits him for taking charge of the situation.
McMorris was out cold for about 45 seconds. When he regained consciousness, his mind was racing.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think I鈥檇 ever snowboard again when I was laying there after I hit that tree,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was awake and was waiting. As soon as the helicopter got there (90 minutes later) I went to sleep. I remember the whole time waiting, just trying to survive because (I) ruptured (my) spleen and all that and my jaw was just hanging. I was puking. I thought I was going to die 芒鈧�� literally.鈥�
After spending 10 days in hospital, McMorris was quite limited physically for about a month. He started the rehabilitation process in the Vancouver area and currently spends at least 2-3 hours per day on a 鈥渉eavy鈥� gym routine and hydrotherapy work.
McMorris, 23, was on a liquid diet for six weeks 鈥� mostly smoothies and soup 鈥� and has put back on most of the weight and muscle he lost over the spring.
鈥淚t hurts so bad and I hate it every time,鈥� he said of the rehab sessions. 鈥淏ut when I leave I鈥檓 so happy. I鈥檓 like, 鈥極K that鈥檚 one step closer to doing what I actually love and what brings me ultimate joy.鈥� Also it brings me everything I鈥檝e been able to experience in life.
鈥淚t all comes from snowboarding and maybe being who I am. But I am who I am because of snowboarding at the end of the day.鈥�
There is no firm timeline in place for a return to the slopes. He鈥檚 tentatively looking at the fall but doesn鈥檛 need to rush back for Olympic qualifications as he has a provisional spot on the team for the Feb. 9-25 Pyeongchang Games.
McMorris, who sat down for a rare extended interview this week while in town for promotional work with Cheerios, said he has been buoyed by the tremendous support he has received from fans around the world.
鈥淭he energy from everybody motivates you to heal,鈥� he said. 鈥淟aying in the hospital and getting seven zillion texts a day or emails or Instagram (messages) or whatever. It was like, 鈥極K these people believe I can do it, for sure I can do it.鈥欌��
McMorris broke a rib just 11 days before the 2014 Games and suffered a broken left femur last year. In both instances, he was back competing earlier than expected.
He earned World Cup Crystal Globes last season in the new Olympic discipline of Big Air and as the overall champion. If his rehab and recovery continue as planned, McMorris will likely be a medal favourite in both Big Air and slopestyle competitions in South Korea.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 be average,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 need to be like a super-human again. That鈥檚 what I鈥檝e been working towards.鈥�
Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
