I can’t say I’ve had a lifelong love of skiing. I wasn’t a kid who grew up with it; I lived three blocks from Canada Olympic Park (now WinSport) for more than a decade, but never learned — I was always too scared. But, in September 2021, my husband, Tyler, my now-eight-year-old son, Edison, and I made the move from Calgary to Canmore. Part of embracing the active Canmore lifestyle involved learning to ski. I overcame my fears and even completed my first-ever black-diamond run at the end of 2022.
In June 2023, when I was 39 years old, my life took an unexpected turn. Edison and I were biking on Policeman’s Creek Trail, a popular path in the Canmore area. I fell and my bike hit my right knee, causing a seemingly innocuous bruise. But the next day, a Sunday, I was really sick. I was feverish, vomiting and tired. There was a red line on my right leg. On Monday, I went to the emergency room at Canmore General Hospital and was diagnosed with cellulitis, a bacterial skin infection. I don’t remember a lot from that point. Tyler tells me I was in a lot of pain. He knew something was really wrong — he called paramedics, who took me to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary. The cellulitis had progressed to necrotizing fasciitis — also known as flesh-eating disease — and my right leg was septic. Just three days after my fall, my entire right leg and half of my right glute was amputated.
I was in a coma for 10 days after the amputation, and came home to Canmore in July. I’m an active person who danced and did yoga before this, so, very quickly, I got tired of sitting. In October of that year, I began to get fitted for prosthetics, but it was going so poorly; it’s hard to find a good fit because of the location of my emergency amputation. I needed some form of activity and normalcy in my life. That’s when I reached out to Rocky Mountain Adaptive.
I’d seen RMA coaches and athletes at Mt. Norquay [ski resort] before. I emailed them to inquire about how to join one of their adaptive programs when the ski season kicked off in November. First, I had to do U CAN Try It intro sessions. This gave them an idea of my disability, my skiing level and what kind of coach I should be paired with.
Through RMA, the world of tri-skiing opened up to me. I ski with my left leg using one ski and two outriggers. I was paired with Irene Hutcheon, who is the perfect coach for me. She knows when to push me and gives me confidence. My program with Irene was 10 weeks at Sunshine Village, every Friday for two hours. I loved being outside, being active, feeling normal — Fridays became the best day of my week. I started the program tri-skiing on the bunny hill, but quickly moved to green routes. With Irene’s guidance, I’ve even skied a black-diamond run! I joke that I’m a better skier on one leg than I ever was on two.
I honestly believe that RMA saved my life. After my amputation, I didn’t know who I was anymore. I didn’t know if I would have any abilities or if I could even be a mom anymore. I didn’t know if I’d survive this. But, once I contacted RMA, I had some semblance of normalcy to hang onto. I had to push on for my son, for my family.
Jamie and Ian, the RMA founders, made me feel so special. They are pushing me to try more. Irene gives me goals to work towards. And, if it wasn’t for skiing, I wouldn’t be as strong; skiing is helping with my physio and my rehab.
I laugh at the thought of being scared to try skiing when I was younger. Not a lot can scare me now. —As told to Karin Olafson
Know the Signs of Necrotizing Fasciitis
Necrotizing fasciitis is considered rare by the Alberta government, but, even so, it’s important to know the signs so you can advocate for yourself and seek care quickly. –K.O.
Early signs
- Aches
- Fever and chills
- Severe pain at the injury site
Later signs
- Red or discoloured skin
- Swelling of the affected area
- Necrosis (decaying tissue)