Skiing Breaks Bones, Not Wills

Conrad Yarmoloy’s Life-threatening, but not Life-changing Crash.

Conrad Yarmoloy has always loved skiing. And his introduction to freeskiing contests brought his love into a new realm, as he met others with the same passion and drive. The boy was on top of his game and on top of the world.

But on April 23^rd 2011, Conrad miscalculated a cliff in Sunshine Village’s Delirium Dive. The planned cushy landing ended up being a fridge-sized boulder with a dusting of snow, which blew his leg into eight pieces. Suffering from the pain of a shattered femur is nothing compared to spending months with a sore Nintendo thumb wondering if you can ski the next year, if at all.

But Conrad not skiing is like Rocky not stepping into the ring. So, after a tormenting four months, he stood up on both feet for the first time and immediately started training for winter. He hired a personal trainer and hit the gym and pool daily. Conrad did everything Rocky would do short of punching frozen meat. After spending every immobile day wondering if he would ever compete again, he was tired of just thinking about it.

Conrad did make it back onto his skis this year and on March 17^th, was able to continue the contests he loved, placing 13^th in the Wrangle the Chute Contest at Kicking Horse. The body’s capabilities to heal are limitless if you have the drive to make it happen. With a rod and eight screws now in his leg, Conrad has more metal in him than the Special Olympics. Going big can break bones, but no matter how bad it may be, some wills can never be broken.

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