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Mike Shaw returns to the Low Pressure Podcast Studios to update us on his recovery progress! He joined us in March this past season and spoke about his skiing accident which broke his neck and left him paralyzed. In the emotional 2 part episode, he explained the experience in detail. He describes the accident itself, the surgery, and the process of his initial recovery. Its now eight months after his injury and his recovery is nothing short of amazing! In this brand new discussion he explains that he’s completed a 5K charity walk. He’s back riding a bike and amazingly, has been able to go wake surfing! Listen and be inspired
Mike Shaw
Listen to the original episode with Mike below:
Part 1 – Mike Shaw Tells His Story / The Accident
Part 2 – Mike Shaw Tells His Story / The Road to Recovery
To Find out more about Spinal Cord injuries or to Donate, visit:
www.sci-bc.ca
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Dear Mike,
I just want to say how moved I was by listening to these podcasts. My identical twin brother and I both wanted to be pro skiers when we were younger (we were hooked up by Atomic back then). He broke his back very badly in 2002 at age 18 with multiple burst fractures, although by a miracle he had only no permanent neurological damage. We both decided to go to college at that point. Last year I was just jumping off a knoll and went a little too far right into some small moguls with sticky snow. I was thrown headfirst into a mogul while trying to recover and I compressed four vertebrae in my thoracic spine. I had no injury to the spinal cord itself, but it was an incredibly terrifying experience. If I had landed a little differently it could have been much worse (it could have been better, too, of course.)
Spinal injuries have always been my worst fear, and to hear you talk about the moment it happened is really mind-blowing. I think a lot of kids don’t realize how anyone can get hurt in an instant in freestyle skiing, and how it can happen when you least expect it and change your whole life. I have imagined the kind of experience you went through so many times, and I was grateful to hear you speak about it.
I tell kids now to make sure there are no uphill spots or bumps near a landing, because that is what will put you on your head and neck.
I hope you are hanging tough, and keeping up the good work! You’re an inspiration!
Thanks for the great comments Justin! I can tell you he is kicking ass! We’ll make sure Mike gets your kind words.