Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris thought he was going to die last year after a horrific backcountry accident left him in an induced coma with a collapsed lung, ruptured spleen and 17 broken bones.
But less than a year later, the 24-year-old stood beaming on the Olympic podium in Pyeongchang on Sunday after claiming the bronze medal in the men’s slopestyle event.
‘I probably shouldn’t be here, so I’m pretty stoked,’ McMorris said after securing his medal.
‘I need to pinch myself a little bit.’
Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris, 24, won a bronze medal in Pyeongchang on Sunday in the men’s slopestyle event
McMorris had been working on a film project in the backcountry of Whistler in British Columbia last March when his snowboard dug in too deep while he was taking off.
He drifted too far off a jump and smashed the left side of his body against a tree about 20 feet up.
McMorris desperately tried to stay awake while his brother Craig called for help.
As soon as the helicopter arrived and he was airlifted from the mountain, McMorris closed his eyes and didn’t wake up again for two days.
Doctors at Vancouver General Hospital had placed him in a medically induced coma given he was suffering internal bleeding and nursing a broken arm, pelvis, jaw and multiple ribs.
He underwent multiple surgeries on his broken bones, as well as his ruptured spleen and collapsed lung.
While he initially expected to be in hospital for about a month, he recovered quickly and was miraculously able to leave within 12 days.
‘To be honest I was pretty sure I was going to die,’ McMorris said about a week after the accident.
McMorris had been working on a film project in the backcountry of Whistler in British Columbia last March when he smashed into a tree and was put in an induced coma
McMorris, above competing during the final of the men’s snowboard slopestyle on Sunday, defied all odds by finishing third
McMorris defied all odds by winning bronze in South Korea. He said after claiming the bronze medal: ‘I probably shouldn’t be here, so I’m pretty stoked’
He feared he may never have been able to snowboard again.
But McMorris steadily worked his way back to health and within six months was back on a snowboard.
He won a Big Air World Cup event in Beijing in November and earned bronze at Winter X Games last month.
Then on Sunday, McMorris defied all odds by winning bronze in South Korea.
He finished behind American gold medalist Red Gerard and Canadian teammate Max Parrot who took home silver.
The three were separated by a scant 1.96 points.
‘I feel really good to be an Olympic medalist, pretty special to stay on this podium again after everything,’ McMorris said.
‘It’s just a really progressive sport and not getting to participate that much in the last two years has been pretty tough.
This bronze goes with another he won four years earlier at the Sochi Games, while competing with a broken rib.
McMorris (right) is pictured above with gold medalist Red Gerard of the USA (center) and his Canadian teammate Max Parrot (left) who took home silver
His bronze medal on Sunday comes less than a year after McMorris feared he may never have been able to snowboard again
McMorris had an impressive showing at the Pyeongchang event and had been in the lead up until the final run.
He made some tiny mistakes on his second run and scored an 85.20 to take first place.
But then Gerard turned in a nearly flawless third and final run to take the lead with a score of 87.16.
McMorris opted for a daring last jump – a backside triple 1620, which involves three flips and four-and-a-half rotations – but came up short despite having previously landed the maneuver.
Parrot, the final competitor in the event, took over silver with a safe run in the windy conditions.
‘It doesn’t really matter, as long as you’re out here snowboarding and riding as good as you can,’ McMorris said.
‘That’s what I’m up to. I’m stoked. It’s nothing to worry about.
‘Just try your best and that’s what I did. I was rewarded and really pumped.
‘It was a pretty tough road in Sochi as well, but this has been maybe tougher,’ McMorris said.
‘I probably shouldn’t be here or should have some permanent damage from what my accident entailed. Pretty stoked. It’s really cool.’