Photo: Thijs Kennis — Photo: Thijs Kennis

6 weeks since I arrived in Europe; 9 months post surgery.

Things are continuing to improve week to week, but it is certainly a journey full of turbulence.
I seem to be on a "three steps forward, one step back" kind of programme. As in, I ski four days in a row, each day better than the last, take a down day and then the next 2 or 3 days might be filled with patella tendon pain which limits progress, I have had some amazing days though and its all going in the right direction.

Because of the unpredictability of pain, it has been more difficult to set the "little goals" in comparison to rehabing in Wanaka, which was very structured with a solid fitness schedule that I lived my life by.

Even still, there is nothing I'd rather be doing!

I have continued to hit the gym a couple of times a week and I have been spinning on a stationary bike a lot, as well as stretching, icing and using a foam roller every day. So I am still doing a fair amount even with the occasional setbacks.

I guess the sore days make the great days even more memorable, and I am still 100% committed to getting back to my past level of skiing.

I had initially planned to compete at Pitztal in Austria last weekend, but the previous weeks hard, variable snow conditions proved to be challenging with a tender knee. I realised I wasn't quite ready and that it would be more beneficial to stay in Verbier and ski the coming storm. It turned out to be a good move and I took some significant steps forward.

My first comp will now be at Chandolin this coming weekend.
I am definitely nervous, but I am going to turn up ready to compete and see how I feel on the day, hopefully I will be feeling awesome!

In summary things are continuing on the right track and I am having a bunch of fun. But it is harder than I expected it would be after an unexpectedly positive 8 months of dry land rehab in NZ.

Here is my most recent video, this will give you a good idea of the level I am at now.