#HighFivesAthlete Nick Fairall competes in the U.S. Adaptive Waterskiing Nationals in Harmony, North Carolina!

“Its my first time competing in a sport since my injury and it’s going to be fun!!” – Nick Fairall. Go Nick Go!

“My first Slalom run at US Nationals, pretty stoked I cleared the course a couple times in my first few passes!” – Nick Fairall

“Here’s one of my water ski jumps from today at US Adaptive Waterski Nationals.” – Nick Fairall

On January 5th, 2015, Nick was competing in the Ski Jumping World Cup in Bischofshofen, Austria. During qualifications, Nick had a great jump that would have qualified him for the round; however, due to the wet snow conditions, his skis stuck in the snow immediately upon landing. As a result, his center of gravity and balance were thrown forward, and upon impact, Nick was certain that he had broken his back. Medical personal arrived immediately to Nick’s aid and rushed him to the local hospital, where he underwent emergency spinal surgery within two hours after the crash.

Following surgery, Nick was told he had sustained an L-1 fracture dislocation, which was fixed during the surgery. However, due to the compression of his spinal cord, he lost the use of his legs – The body parts that allowed him to compete in the sport that he has truly loved for 20 years, and allowed him to become an United States Olympian.