Skier Survives 30+ Skull Fractures, Wins Olympic Silver

Colby Stevenson should have died when his truck flipped eight times on an Idaho highway in 2016. Instead, the 28-year-old freeskier just topped qualifying at this week's World Cup in Switzerland, putting him one step closer to his second Olympic Games next month in Italy.

The crash nearly ended everything. Stevenson's skull shattered in more than 30 places, and doctors placed him in a medically induced coma for five days. He's among the 1% of people with that type of skull fracture who avoid permanent brain damage.

Recovery stripped away everything he knew. The 6-foot-1 athlete dropped to 139 pounds after two weeks in the hospital, losing all his muscle mass. His neck muscles atrophied so badly he couldn't sit at a table without pain for months.

The brain injury damaged his memory and decision-making. Vertigo made him dizzy when he lay down. Bedridden for three months, he looked in the mirror each morning at the huge scar across his forehead and screamed.

"I would look in the mirror and wish I had died in the crash," Stevenson said.

His grandmother changed everything. When his mother returned to work, she moved in to help with his recovery. They played cards together and took short walks around the neighborhood.

"Those things brought me so much joy when I was in my darkest times," Stevenson said. "I realized you don't need a lot to be happy."

Five months after the accident, he strapped on skis again. He immediately threw a double cork 1080 with two full flips and a spin to prove to himself he could still do it.

Why This Inspires

Stevenson's transformation goes beyond physical recovery. The anxiety that once gripped him before competitions vanished completely. At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, he finished seventh in his main event, slopestyle, but decided to take a massive risk in Big Air.

On the bus to finals, "Fly Like An Eagle" shuffled into his headphones. Stevenson took it as a sign to attempt a trick he'd never tried in competition: a nose butter triple cork 1620 Japan grab. He was too scared to practice it but wanted to do it when it counted most.

He nailed it perfectly and followed with a switch double cork 1800. The reward: an Olympic silver medal.

Now he's fighting for the final spot on the U.S. men's ski team for Italy. Alex Hall and Troy Podmilsak already qualified, and Mac Forehand is nearly locked in after winning last week's U.S. Grand Prix in Aspen. Thursday's top qualifying score puts Stevenson in Saturday's finals, where one more strong performance could secure his Olympic berth.

The accident gave him a gift he never expected. He's become more vulnerable with people and cares less about what others think. The little things he once took for granted now feel like celebrations.

"I should be dead right now," Stevenson told NBC News. "I got nothing to lose."