Eastern Ontario woman credits helmet for saving her after life-changing ski accident
CTV
A 27-year-old woman says she wouldn't be alive today had she not been wearing a helmet before a major ski accident in Quebec.
Mackenzie Baxby is back doing what she loves – downhill skiing.
"I find being up in the mountains, you can just forget about everything else that is going on in the real world and focus on the fun of the sport," she said.
But returning to the sport is an incredible feat, considering the 27-year old from eastern Ontario was in a life-changing ski accident in January 2023 that left many wondering if she would ever walk again.
The accident happened on a ski hill in Rigaud, near Montreal. Baxby, her father, and her fiancé were on the last run of the night.
"We said, 'what the heck, let’s just race.' I came around the hill pretty quickly, there was some people there, I tried to get around them and unfortunately I fell, hit a patch of ice and fell onto my back," Baxby said.
She says she tried to regain control, but went headfirst into a tree.
"From that point, I instantly lost all feeling in my body from my neck to my toes. The only way I can describe it is pins and needles but times one-thousand," she said.
