From Near Fatal Car Wreck to Olympic Silver Medal

Every once in a while, I hear a story that really inspires me.  Usually, for me, those stories are about overcoming adversity, persevering through obstacles, and achieving what once seemed impossible.  By the grace of God, I’ve lived a few of those stories myself, so I have a real affinity for them. While watching the Olympics a few weeks ago, I heard one such story.  It was about US athlete Colby Stevenson, who competes in skiing.   

Colby was in a near fatal car accident at age 18.  He fell asleep at the wheel and his truck rolled 6 times.  The roof caved in and crushed his skull, and he had a total of 30 skull fractures, several other broken bones, and so much head trauma that his brain swelled significantly.   For months afterwards, not only was there tremendous rehab needed on his body, but also on his brain.  He had debilitating vertigo every time he turned his head, making it nearly impossible to do much of anything.   

But, one thing that is amazing about most high-level athletes is they just seem to have a different mentality than most people.  More confidence, more persistence, and more desire to overcome the challenges and “win.” Well, Colby’s dedication paid off.  He fully recovered from the wreck, he competed in his first Olympics this year, and he won the silver medal! 

Here is a link to an article about his story- From Near Fatal Car Accident to Olympic Silver Medal 

Here is a link to an interview he did with NBC Sports about his entire journey.  Fast forward to 9:45 to hear him tell the accident story.  It’s crazy! 

Click here- Colby Stevenson Shares His Story 

I hope and pray that we all have a little more of the will, the dedication and the faith that Colby has so we can face down our challenges (even the ones that seem impossible) and overcome them as well! 

Blessings!

Chris