Hello All!

Well I am back home now in Vancouver a little earlier than expected… My season has come to an end a few weeks earlier than it should due to a slight tumble I took in Garmish, Germany where the World Juniors were being held.

I had not skied to my potential in the GS and Super G races and was ready to go and pumped up to redeem myself for the final event, the Downhill. I was the 4th ranked skier entering the race so my hopes for a podium were within reach. I can’t tell you much about my crash because, luckily, I blacked out and don’t remember anything, but my coaches and teammates who saw it tried to fill me in. I got a little to much direction for one gate at the bottom of the first pitch and skied directly into the next gate. My coach asked the doctor to check my eye sight while he was visiting me in the hospital the next day. I almost bit my tongue right off and had to get heli’d to the hospital right away for a lengthly 2 hour surgery. I got 48 stitches in my tongue. Luckily I did not injure anything else besides looking like I got beat up. But with my sport a few road rashes to the face and purple bruises to the arms seem to be just part of the whole package.

I am almost back to 100% now enjoying a little rest and some quality home time.  Mostly all my stitches are out of my tongue and I am back to eating normal foods, with a partially numb tongue 24/7. I can say with full conviction I will not be eating apple sauce and ice cream as a dessert or any other meal for that, ever, again.

I will hopefully get invited to go up to Whistler with the World Cup speed team for a few days of training in the beginning of April. Other than that life is great!

Cheers!

Georgia Simmerling

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