Question: Ski instructor recovering from life-changing ski injury. Do I tell students?

[Ddharma]

Hello!
Last March I shattered my leg below the knee (on the mountain where I teach) and was reassembled on or around 8 April 2019. I am still learning how to walk, I’m still working on range of motion, I am 100% committed to physical therapy.

Somewhere in that timeline I understood that I was being presented with a rare and precious opportunity: I get to learn how to ski again. I am dedicated to spending this season on green runs (uncharted territory) and practicing basic technique over and over and over again. Ball of foot, pressure left, turn right. Poles in front, shin touching boot tongue. This has been awesome. I easily associate my downhill ski with the turn and recognize the transition point.

I am a pre-cert adult-beginner ski instructor. I strongly relate to my first time beginners and certainly the instruction I am getting directly translates to my teaching.

I seek thoughts from the instructor angle but especially from a beginner student skier’s point of view.

Should I ever let students know why I truly relate to them?

 

[Mistletoes]

My two cents, why not? It's your story. Kudos for finding a positive angle to look at your situation. I bet it makes you an even more compassionate and empathetic instructor.

Are you thinking you shouldn't tell your students because it might scare them? If that's the case all I can say is when I started out as an adult beginner I was terrified of everything about the mountain. I was also committed to learning the sport and overcoming my fear. As your teaching relationship evolves with your students, it'll probably come up naturally in conversation.

 

[ski diva]

Your return to skiing could be very inspiring to your students, because if you're not afraid to come back after such a serious injury, why should they be afraid to start? I say share it when and if you want. It's your story -- and it's a personal one -- so you might not want to share it with everyone. You'll know when the time is right.

 

[geargrrl]

What an amazing story.

 

[Peaheartsmama]

Just a post of solidarity here! I actually started teaching this season after two ACL reconstructions. And I can totally relate to the fear, after all
My worst fears came true - twice. I haven’t really had the right opportunity where I felt telling the story would be helpful. But I know it makes me especially empathetic and patient with the ones who are very scared and I try hard to make it a good experience for them.

 

[Pequenita]

What a story.

Should I ever let students know why I truly relate to them?

To me, it makes more sense to tell ongoing or repeat students, rather than a true beginner that you'll see only once. As @ski diva wrote, you'll know when the time is right, and whether the listener will be receptive. You don't want their response to be, "Yeah, but you already knew how to ski before the injury..."

 

[sibhusky]

I wouldn't use the word "shattered".

 

[BlueSkies]

I wouldn't use the word "shattered".

My doctor did when I broke my tiba and fibula (yes, skiing) more than 25 years ago.

 

[Pequenita]

Hm. The more I think about it (just took a shower, where my best ideas emerge), I lean towards sharing sparingly because the story you're intending to share involves explaining that you injured yourself through what you are actually teaching (i.e., you injured yourself skiing....which is what you're teaching).

If you have a fearful student, telling them that they could be so severely injured that they need to relearn is only going to reinforce the fear. If your student isn't fearful, but rather already skeptical of your teaching ability, telling them you had a season-ending injury isn't going to build their confidence in you. I think it would be a different story if the injury were from a different mechanism, but even still, I'm not sure teaching is a "misery loves company" kind of environment.

The experience is in some ways a gift to you and your teaching, as empathy for your students. Until you know that a listener is going to receive your story the way you intend it, I would hone language that conveys empathy ("I know it's scary/daunting/etc., but we just worked on x, y, and z, and you did those perfectly! This is the same thing, on a slightly bigger scale. Let's do this one turn at a time."), rather than sharing the story or your experience.

 

[BlueSkies]

My doctor did when I broke my tiba and fibula (yes, skiing) more than 25 years ago.

Sorry- got interrupted for dinner, but after my injury I took lessons again and it would have helped my confidence to have an instructor share a similar injury. After my ACL repair I had an instructor who had also had ACL repair and definitely helped my confidence.

 

[Peaheartsmama]

Sorry- got interrupted for dinner, but after my injury I took lessons again and it would have helped my confidence to have an instructor share a similar injury. After my ACL repair I had an instructor who had also had ACL repair and definitely helped my confidence.

This is exactly the kind of situation it think it would be helpful to share the story. Actually now that I think of it, I have shared the story more as a student to my instructors so that they can understand where my heads at and they know I’m trying to build confidence. For a while I specifically sought out instructors that could talk to me about how to ski more defensively and with the best technique possible I reduce Risk of future injury.

 

[marzNC]

after my injury I took lessons again and it would have helped my confidence to have an instructor share a similar injury. After my ACL repair I had an instructor who had also had ACL repair and definitely helped my confidence.

Having an instructor share an injury story after a student has mentioned their injury history makes perfect sense. I had a similar experience during a lesson after I popped off an ACL and had decision against ALC reconstruction surgery. The instructor was a successful coper as well, with a medical background in addition. The fact that the instructor and I talked about whether or not a brace is useful for a coper was helpful.

However, the OP was asking about sharing her story with first-timers and beginners. In that situation, I tend to agree with @ski diva and @Pequenita to be careful about sharing too much too soon. Sharing the fact that there was an injury that required work to rehab and start skiing again could be done without going into any details.

 

[Pequenita]

Yeah. My thoughts were in the context of should this story be shared with “first-time beginners,” as OP wrote.

 

[sibhusky]

My doctor did when I broke my tiba and fibula (yes, skiing) more than 25 years ago.

That is a different situation. Really when a doctor tells you that he's trying to set your expectations on recovery. In this situation we don't want to terrify a person who is probably already worried about this very possibility.

 

[Jazza]

Hello!
Last March I shattered my leg below the knee (on the mountain where I teach) and was reassembled on or around 8 April 2019. I am still learning how to walk, I’m still working on range of motion, I am 100% committed to physical therapy.

Somewhere in that timeline I understood that I was being presented with a rare and precious opportunity: I get to learn how to ski again. I am dedicated to spending this season on green runs (uncharted territory) and practicing basic technique over and over and over again. Ball of foot, pressure left, turn right. Poles in front, shin touching boot tongue. This has been awesome. I easily associate my downhill ski with the turn and recognize the transition point.

I am a pre-cert adult-beginner ski instructor. I strongly relate to my first time beginners and certainly the instruction I am getting directly translates to my teaching.

I seek thoughts from the instructor angle but especially from a beginner student skier’s point of view.

Should I ever let students know why I truly relate to them?

I think it is really inspiring when someone ‘gets back on that horse.’ Whether it’s because of a ski accident or hip replacement, the dedication to rehab and motivation to get back on that mountain really is something. Ultimately, it’s your story, but I think others would be inspired too.

 

[JaneB]

Hello!
Last March I shattered my leg below the knee (on the mountain where I teach) and was reassembled on or around 8 April 2019. I am still learning how to walk, I’m still working on range of motion, I am 100% committed to physical therapy.

Somewhere in that timeline I understood that I was being presented with a rare and precious opportunity: I get to learn how to ski again. I am dedicated to spending this season on green runs (uncharted territory) and practicing basic technique over and over and over again. Ball of foot, pressure left, turn right. Poles in front, shin touching boot tongue. This has been awesome. I easily associate my downhill ski with the turn and recognize the transition point.

I am a pre-cert adult-beginner ski instructor. I strongly relate to my first time beginners and certainly the instruction I am getting directly translates to my teaching.

I seek thoughts from the instructor angle but especially from a beginner student skier’s point of view.

Should I ever let students know why I truly relate to them?

 

[JaneB]

Only if someone shares a history of a serious injury.

 

[Susan L]

As a student, I personally do not want to hear/talk/think about anything related to “injury”, even if it does not concern me. It’s a given that everyone started out as a beginner, so it is not necessary to use your injury to relate to other beginners.

 

[Ski Sine Fine]

When I meet a new instructor, I tell them I have a reconstructed ACL and an unrepaired meniscus tear in the same knee, and at a not-so-deep flexion, weight bearing becomes problematic. When the instructor can relate with knee problems of their own, it gives me hope and confidence I can improve and become a better skier. I agree, though, only tell the story when the student is looking for that kind of validation.

 

[Ddharma]

I am so grateful for everyone’s generosity in sharing feelings and experiences that give me a lot to think about and all in a good way!

I especially appreciate the advice to share sparingly. I totally agree, and now I better understand why.

Ironically it is the beginner stuff that fills me with glee and understanding because I really don’t ever remember learning how to ski and definitely did not have any logical progression. I took a lesson last year and went to clinics, I knew I wanted to ski more elegantly and efficiently. The instructors assured me I could ski well enough to teach and demonstrate . . .but my a-ha moment of differentiation between my outside or downhill ski and when the transition takes place and how turning properly effectively reduces speed — that all happened on January 23rd, my first day back on the mountain.

But— this is all YAY ME stuff — stuff to talk about with my physical therapist and rehab coaches.

My students don’t need to know how I know the importance of ALL the beginning stuff.

And! It’s ok to ask my fellow instructors for help with approaching this or that.


I super appreciate the very valuable input received from you all. I‘ve been following the conversation and truly, thank you for your thoughtful responses.