The Olympics have always been a platform for memorable stories and heroic feats. The greatest athletes from across the world come to achieve fulfill lifelong dreams, and many come to the Olympics with a point to prove. The Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 are no exception.

American alpine ski racer Tommy Ford had suffered one of the most horrific crashes in the sport in January 2021. It happened in Switzerland, where he crashed at a World Cup giant slalom event.

Suffering several terrible injuries, Ford had been in really bad shape. Now, at the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022, Tommy Ford has returned roughly a year later, and he looks good.

Tommy Ford is resurgent at the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022

In January 2021, Tommy Ford had suffered a terrible crash, running off the path and crashing into the rough snow. Moreover, he had even landed on his head.

Even though Ford had not skied in over a year, it did not stop him from making his comeback at the biggest sporting stage in the world. He chose the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 to mark his return, and what a return it was.

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In fact, on the day of his return, the visibility on the ski slopes was less than decent. In fact, the Meteorological Administration of China has even issued a blizzard warning in Beijing. Thus, it also meant caused several events to be postponed a day ahead.

Today was a day when even making it to the finish line through the low-hanging clouds and terrible visibility would have been an achievement, and Tommy Ford did just that. Moreover, he went above and beyond what was expected of him, by finishing seventh from a total of 46 contestants.

Tommy Ford’s crash in Switzerland had been no laughing matter. The 20-year-old had torn two ligaments in his right knee. Furthermore, he had suffered a torn meniscus and a broken tibial plateau. Additionally, to make things even worse, his left wrist had suffered a fracture as well.

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Hence, to see the young skier race down the slopes in less-than-favorable conditions at the Beijing Winter Olympics was nothing short of magical. Truly, every Olympian faces extremely tough odds to reach this stage, and resilience is synonymous with the Olympics.

Tommy Ford’s recovery process

After his horrific crash, Ford had undergone several surgeries. Initially, his girlfriend Laurenne Ross helped him. Ross is also an Olympian.

Later on, it was Tyson Ford, Tommy’s brother, who was his primary caretaker. In fact, Tommy had undergone four different surgeries to fix everything that the crash had taken away from him.

Moreover, Ford did not even remember the crash itself! This happened because the concussion caused memory loss in Ford’s brain, while also impairing his vision. The 20-year-old’s left eye does not follow motion as it should.

In November 2021, when Ford had returned to practice on the snow, he had expressed doubt over his Olympics participation. “I don’t know if I’m going to get better or even get to the point where I’m fast enough for the Olympics,” he had stated.

Moreover, he had also expressed that he suffered from depression during his recovery period. “It’s inevitable, in a sense, with having a traumatic injury,” Ford had explained.

Nevertheless, having braved through his recovery and come out healthy, Tommy Ford’s spirited seventh-place-winning run today was a thing of beauty, and a resounding reminder across the world to anyone watching, that one must never give up on doing what they love.

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