1000 Days

"It really doesn't take that much to be happy."

Chris Ebenbichler, Sports Scientist & ORTOVOX Ambassador

1000 days. That’s how long it’s been since Chris Ebenbichler, passionate skier and trainer at the Olympic Center Tyrol suffered a serious accident. And now he’s standing here, back on a ski tour and on a “proper” summit. “This is how my athletes must feel after a big win,” is how Chris describes the experience of his very own success.

On a ski tour again – the impossible made possible

On March 21, 2021, on what he calls a normal “Sunday ski tour”, Chris’s life abruptly changes. On his descent, he crashes full-speed into a tree. And breaks his lower left leg – but that’s not all. He tears every ligament in his knee and suffers major tissue damage that eventually requires transplants. In this moment, something also breaks inside of him. From now on, the person he once was no longer exists. Difficult times follow. For more than a week, Chris lies waiting to find out whether his lower leg needs to be amputated. In the end, he keeps the leg. But all of his doctors agree: he’ll never be able to ski again. However, he doesn’t give up. He slowly starts to accept his situation and focuses his energy on rehabilitation. On moving forward, step by step. Into the unknown. But as he makes progress, his confidence grows. All of his knowledge as a qualified sports scientist and his experience as a trainer help him through this time. He trains himself – his body and, most importantly, his mind. And so now, exactly 1000 days after his accident, he is once again standing at the starting point of a ski tour.

Photography, Cap, Helmet, Jacket, Baseball Cap

"The magic most people look for in moments like these can be found in the work that we don't want to do."

Chris Ebenbichler (40) teaches at the University of Innsbruck's Department for Sport Science and works as a trainer at the Olympic Center Tyrol. When he was as young as three years old, he already preferred to ski than to go to kindergarten. Chris skied in the Austrian Ski Federation’s Ski Cross national team for several years before switching to the theoretical side to pass on his knowledge to professional athletes. In March 2021, he was involved in a serious skiing accident that almost cost him his left leg. What followed was a journey of self-discovery and, finally, an inspiring comeback on his first ski tour after the accident.