Sam Lee (Ibex) injury

Hi Everyone,

This season started off super strong for me, I had a bunch of good training in Austria and had picked up exactly where I left off after the progressions I made in the NZ winter. 

Unfortunately, while skiing at Verbier eleven days ago I got unlucky, I slightly under-rotated a flat 3 off a 3 or 4m drop and landed awkwardly with my ski digging in and stopping dead on landing. My right shin bent over my boot and took my full body weight and I shattered my tibia into a bunch of bits while also snapping my fibula. It was incredibly painful!

I was flown to Sion hospital, where I went under general anaesthetic to have a rod inserted into my tibia. 
That surgery was successful and I'm one step closer to leaving this fleshy body behind, with my new and improved mechanical skeleton.

However, a day later I faced the complications of compartment syndrome and on Saturday 12th in the morning I went into surgery under general again.

This operation was to cut two long incisions down both sides of my calf to release the build-up of pressure caused by excess swelling. 

The cuts remained open for a few days, covered by bandages, the first was closed on Tuesday 15th and the second was closed on Friday 18th during the evening. 

So far everything looks fine since the final surgery, right now the doctors are watching the swelling to make sure it goes down ok.

Today for the first time since I have been in here, I left my floor, and even went outside into the open air!! All under my own power in a wheelchair, a move that feels massive after lying in bed for so long!

Right now the biggest issue is that I have some nerve damage and I am lacking some movement in my ankle and toes. It is still too early to know what this means, and it sounds like we just have to wait and see what happens when the swelling reduces. 

I started on physiotherapy today, and also put a small amount of weight through the leg while standing on crutches. 

I still don't know when I will be able to leave the hospital, but once I do I will fly back to NZ as soon as possible. 

My goal is to return for Freeride World Tour 2020 on an injury wildcard and hopefully get on snow in NZ, and I will be working my hardest to make that happen!
I will keep you all updated once I have a better projection for the duration of my recovery and rehabilitation. 

Cheers, 
Sam