| Having arrived back from my December ski trip | | | | another pain of impact. This would have been |
| somewhat battered and bruised, I found myself | | | | the point at which gravity took charge of my |
| giving a great deal of thought to the factors | | | | flight path which had by then been in excess |
| leading up to my unwelcome encounter on what | | | | of 10 metres and I was re-united with the |
| one would ordinarily see as a safe and | | | | snow. As I rolled to a halt I was clutching |
| predictable slope. I decided that there are | | | | my chest. I have to admit that the pain was |
| five distinct lessons to be learned from my | | | | scary. It's amazing how many thoughts go |
| misfortune. | | | | through your mind at such a time. I know I |
| | | | was visualizing all manner of injuries. |
| Lesson 1: Seemingly Safe Situations Can Hide | | | | Somehow I rolled to my knees and it began to |
| Nasty Surprises | | | | dawn on me that my legs were fine. I was |
| | | | extremely grateful for that. Slowly I |
| It would seem, as our week skiing in Andorra | | | | staggered to my feet. My chest hurt with a |
| reached the last day, that I was (unknown to | | | | passion. Yet I was so pleased that my legs |
| me) lining up to follow in the tracks of a | | | | were ok. Some 23 years ago I had a skiing |
| fellow skier who is far better known than I. | | | | accident and did not get up. My left leg |
| It so happens that on my birthday, one full | | | | suffered a fractured tibia. Not as bad an |
| week before my own accident, the governor of | | | | injury as Governor Schwarzenegger, I grant |
| the US state of California, Arnold | | | | you, but it did take 3 months to mend. In any |
| Schwarzenegger, suffered a rather more | | | | event, I was very pleased to have brought a |
| serious injury. Yahoo News reported that | | | | precautionary helping of pain killers with |
| "Schwarzenegger broke his right femur on | | | | me. Going shopping for medication after the |
| December 23 when he tripped over his ski pole | | | | event would not have been enjoyable. |
| while standing on a slope in Sun Valley, | | | | |
| Idaho." | | | | Lesson 5: Recovery Can Take Time And Doctors |
| | | | Can Only Do So Much |
| There are a number of similarities between | | | | |
| our two accidents. We were both performing | | | | So what did happen to me? I am still not |
| activities which we would not have | | | | quite sure. I might have sustained rib |
| immediately thought would be particularly | | | | damage. I very probably pulled chest and back |
| hazardous. Inevitably this is a state of | | | | muscles in all sorts of directions. My son |
| affairs that tends to lead to a relaxed state | | | | re-united me with my skis. Unknown to me at |
| of mind which ironically left us both more | | | | the time, he caught my right ski just before |
| vulnerable to our respective hazards. | | | | it went over the edge and down the mountain. |
| However, despite the considerably more | | | | That would have really spoilt my day. Some |
| spectacular nature of my incident, I walked | | | | concerned skiers surrounded me, clearly |
| away which is where we differ. | | | | worried about my injuries. It took a while |
| | | | but I decided that I was capable of skiing |
| Governor Schwarzenegger must have been | | | | down. I even ended the run on a black |
| unbelievably unlucky. Tripping over while | | | | (difficult) slope which was slightly icy. I |
| stationary is something that most skiers will | | | | was pleased about that. End of skiing for |
| have experienced at some time or another, | | | | this trip. Good job it was the last day. I |
| usually brought about by being distracted or | | | | did not seek medical attention after the |
| simply experiencing a "balance anomaly". I | | | | accident. I was later told that attending |
| have never in my life heard of a significant | | | | hospital would be futile as one is not even |
| injury being caused in such a manner. | | | | x-rayed for rib injuries unless puncture |
| Governor Schwarzenegger managed to break the | | | | wounds are suspected. In my case, repairs |
| largest bone in the body necessitating | | | | were down to the body. |
| surgery for a realistically rapid repair. | | | | |
| | | | Here Ends The Lesson |
| Lesson 2: Beware The Funnel | | | | |
| | | | In truth I am not altogether sure what did |
| The slope that I was on was not at all | | | | happen in terms of injuries. I was munching |
| difficult - although the section where I | | | | pain killers with a passion for the best part |
| collided had been substantially narrowed on | | | | of a week, less so for the second week. Now, |
| account of lack of snow. Think of it as a | | | | one full month later, I don't need them at |
| funnel. Pour too many skiers into that funnel | | | | all. The body can be remarkably good at doing |
| and - well - a collision will be waiting to | | | | its own repairs but when injured it |
| happen. Even with a modest number of people | | | | definitely hurts. |
| in the funnel, if one or more people are | | | | |
| travelling at speed then the opportunities | | | | I had my first life experience as a human |
| for avoiding obstacles are reduced. In my | | | | glider. My skis left my boots at the same |
| case, there were no more opportunities. | | | | time and that saved me some serious damage. I |
| | | | know that there were two impacts. The first |
| Lesson 3: Your Own Memory Of Events May | | | | was with the shoulder of the snowboarder, the |
| Differ Substantially From Others | | | | second was with the snow when my gliding |
| | | | experience ran out of lift and I made my |
| I remember the instant before the impact - | | | | rather untidy landing. I find it amazing that |
| the realisation that I was indeed going to | | | | after a lot of yelling, I staggered up and |
| have a collision. The impact knocked the wind | | | | skid down the rest of the run finishing on a |
| out of me and the pain was almost instant. I | | | | black. Compared to Governor Schwarzenegger, I |
| was not aware of the fact at the time but my | | | | was very lucky indeed. |
| ski bindings earned their keep and did what | | | | |
| they were designed to do - they released my | | | | How could I have avoided the accident? Only |
| boots from the skis and they did so quick | | | | by skiing slower through the funnel. It would |
| enough to avoid injury to my legs. As a | | | | have been really helpful if the person who I |
| result of pitching forward from the boot | | | | collided with had looked before crossing the |
| release, the snowboarder's body acting as a | | | | slope. For motor vehicle drivers, the person |
| pivot point and the momentum I had, I became | | | | I collided with performed the skiing |
| airborne. I was not particularly aware of | | | | equivalent of pulling out onto a busy road |
| this at the time, but my son had turned round | | | | without looking. Same as with driving really. |
| and saw the events unfold. | | | | Expect the unexpected. |
| | | | |
| Lesson 4: Injuries Can Really Hurt So Take | | | | The only question that remain are, should I |
| Some Pain Killers With You As Insurance | | | | now wear a helmet and should I be looking at |
| | | | body armour? Maybe, just maybe. |
| I remember shouting with the pain. I remember | | | | |