After the Avalanche

It is fair to say that most of Katie Combaluzier카지노 게임 컬렉션�s plans for life were shattered on a French mountainside in 2018. But how she rebuilt that life, piece by painstaking piece, is the story of a force of will that turned out to be just as strong as the avalanche that hit her like a snow-covered freight train, took the life of her friend, and robbed her of her mobility.
 
Dr. Katie Combaluzier, Artsci카지노 게임 컬렉션�16, is, herself, a force of nature. Her tenacity, courage, and resilience are testaments to the human spirit, packaged as they are in the joy with which she lives her life: a badge of triumph and, perhaps, defiance. For after all she has been through, 카지노 게임 컬렉션�and all the things that might have stopped her, Dr. Combaluzier has never surrendered.
 
When she woke up in a hospital in France and was told she might never walk again, the then-24-year-old, who had childhood dreams of going to the Olympics, briefly paused and then said to herself, 카지노 게임 컬렉션�Well, maybe I can go to the Paralympics.카지노 게임 컬렉션�
 
That카지노 게임 컬렉션�s also the first thing she told her parents when they arrived at her bedside. Then she started talking herself through how she would return to medical school and finish the remaining years of her degree at 카지노게임사이트 College in Dublin.
 
Today, Dr. Combaluzier, a Toronto native who completed her undergrad in kinesiology at Queen카지노 게임 컬렉션�s, is finishing her residency in Gatineau, Que. When she카지노 게임 컬렉션�s done, she and her fiancé, Adam Doran, will move to Squamish, B.C., where she카지노 게임 컬렉션�ll continue to work part time while skiing and training full time. She카지노 게임 컬렉션�s aiming to return for her second Paralympics after competing in 2022 in Beijing, China, and is now training for Milano Cortina, Italy, in 2026. This time, she카지노 게임 컬렉션�s determined to bring home a medal for Canada. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�That would be my biggest dream.카지노 게임 컬렉션�

Dreams of competing in the Olympics were a real thing for young Katie.
 
카지노 게임 컬렉션�I카지노 게임 컬렉션�ve been skiing since I was two years old,카지노 게임 컬렉션� she says, with her irrepressible smile. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�I ski-raced and competed growing up and, of course, had dreams of going to the Olympics. So, when I had an accident, it didn카지노 게임 컬렉션�t matter that it happened skiing. It wasn카지노 게임 컬렉션�t something I was going to give up.카지노 게임 컬렉션�

In March 2018, Dr. Combaluzier had booked a reading week ski trip to Grenoble, France, with three students she카지노 게임 컬렉션�d connected with through a mutual friend. The four were backcountry skiing when an avalanche broke beneath their feet. Dr. Combaluzier screamed before a river of snow swept the skiers down the mountain. Suddenly, the earth was moving beneath her, she lost all sense of direction, and felt as if she was being crushed before she slammed into an avalanche barrier. Her back was fractured.
 
When it finally stopped, the horror of it all began to set in as she and her skiing companions shouted into the wind for help. The fourth member of their party, Sven Reichert, was missing. When they found him, his helmet was broken and bloody 카지노 게임 컬렉션� he had been killed by the impact.At the time, CBC reported that rescuers카지노 게임 컬렉션� attempts to use a helicopter had been thwarted by rapid cloud cover, so when Dr. Combaluzier was finally found, her crumpled body was strapped to a toboggan and lowered by ropes down the mountain. She later recalled that she was in excruciating pain, crying out for morphine, which rescuers administered on the spot. She didn카지노 게임 컬렉션�t need her early medical training to tell her the lack of feeling in her legs was a good indication of spinal-cord injury 카지노 게임 컬렉션� she knew it in her heart.
 
It was, she later recalled, 카지노 게임 컬렉션�the worst experience of my life.카지노 게임 컬렉션�

It was also a profound turning point, triggering a fierce determination in the face of an unthinkable tragedy. At the hospital in France, surgeons used a titanium plate to fuse three of her spinal discs. She was told she had little chance of ever walking again.
 
Yet, she was determined to overcome the injury and dedicated to realizing her new dream of becoming a Paralympian. She moved from diagnosis to the international pinnacle of Paralympic ski competition in fewer than four years 카지노 게임 컬렉션� she graduated from medical school in the spring of 2021, as planned, despite having missed much of her second semester while in rehab in Canada; she was in the gym by July and on the slopes competing in elite races by November of that year; and, by March 2022, she was competing in the Beijing Paralympics.
 
카지노 게임 컬렉션�It came down to a lot of determination and focus,카지노 게임 컬렉션� she says. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�I reached out to different coaches to get as much training as I could.카지노 게임 컬렉션�

In her joy, there카지노 게임 컬렉션�s a healthy, if occasionally dark, sense of humour. Pulling into Camp Fortune, a ski hill near Chelsea, Que., that she frequented last winter to keep up her skills, her Hyundai Santa Fe, retrofitted with hand controls, is parked in a plum spot on an extremely busy day 카지노 게임 컬렉션� one of the perks, she jokes, of being disabled (the word she uses).
 
카지노 게임 컬렉션�The parking benefits, I tell ya!카지노 게임 컬렉션� she says.
 
A few days later, after she카지노 게임 컬렉션�s returned from placing fourth in a world championship competition in Switzerland, she카지노 게임 컬렉션�s at the Gatineau apartment she shares with her fiancé and their enthusiastic cockapoo, Perogi. Her phone rings and she excuses herself from an interview. In French, her second language, she speaks to the caregiver of a 90-year-old patient who needs an emergency infusion. Dr. Combaluzier tells them the test results that she just received indicate it카지노 게임 컬렉션�s urgent and she advises them to go to the emergency room. She카지노 게임 컬렉션�s well into overtime on another stressful day, but she카지노 게임 컬렉션�s doing something she loves 카지노 게임 컬렉션� practising family medicine.
 
Her passion for her profession stems from her interest in the way the human body works.

카지노 게임 컬렉션�The classic answer for any doctor is 카지노 게임 컬렉션�because I want to help people,카지노 게임 컬렉션� but [for me,] it카지노 게임 컬렉션�s more just an interest in the science behind things that led me to this pathway. Kinesiology scratches the surface. As a family doc, we need to know absolutely everything there is to know. And I still learn something every day.카지노 게임 컬렉션�
 
The road to medicine started at Queen카지노 게임 컬렉션�s, where she learned to love athletics and academics, and to 카지노 게임 컬렉션�nail카지노 게임 컬렉션� time management. In addition to a full course load, she had five practices a week as a member of the university카지노 게임 컬렉션�s sailing team. She also competed many weekends.
 
카지노 게임 컬렉션�I learned teamwork and communication from my coaches,카지노 게임 컬렉션� she says. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�Queen카지노 게임 컬렉션�s was great for creating a sense of community. My Queen카지노 게임 컬렉션�s roommates are still my best friends today.카지노 게임 컬렉션�
 
She also volunteered with two programs for disabled adults at Kingston General and Hotel Dieu Hospital; this commitment gave her the experience she needed for med school applications.

She pauses, realizing the significance of her past work with patients with disabilities. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�I카지노 게임 컬렉션�ve actually never made that connection before.카지노 게임 컬렉션�

After the avalanche, she immediately decided she would return to medical school.

카지노 게임 컬렉션�When the accident happened, I asked myself about the positives. Once something like that happens to you, there are opportunities thrown at you. I said yes to as many as I could. I felt fortunate to be able to go back to med school. I카지노 게임 컬렉션�d lost use of my legs, but my brain was still good.카지노 게임 컬렉션�
 
First, she had to persuade school administrators she was capable.
 
카지노 게임 컬렉션�I had to convince people I still deserved my place in medicine,카지노 게임 컬렉션� she says, as they offered her the option of dropping out. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�I카지노 게임 컬렉션�m like, 카지노 게임 컬렉션�Well, no, I want to come back.카지노 게임 컬렉션�카지노 게임 컬렉션�
 
There were obstacles to overcome in a less-than-modern medical school 카지노 게임 컬렉션� no elevators, and doors that were too narrow. Participating in anatomy labs and surgeries was a challenge.

카지노 게임 컬렉션�I wasn카지노 게임 컬렉션�t allowed in the emergency room during medical training because they thought I would be in the way because of my chair,카지노 게임 컬렉션� she says. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�I카지노 게임 컬렉션�ve had to advocate for myself. Just because I카지노 게임 컬렉션�m sitting doesn카지노 게임 컬렉션�t mean I카지노 게임 컬렉션�m not able to accomplish tasks; it just might take me a fraction longer.

카지노 게임 컬렉션�Having adaptability and the desire to overcome the obstacles helps. I카지노 게임 컬렉션�ve always been a very determined person. This was just a bump in the road.카지노 게임 컬렉션�
 
During her medical training and residency, she카지노 게임 컬렉션�s also had to deal with 카지노 게임 컬렉션�prying카지노 게임 컬렉션� questions from skeptical patients and had to convince some patients 카지노 게임 컬렉션� and even some colleagues 카지노 게임 컬렉션� that she is a doctor.
 
카지노 게임 컬렉션�One time a random staff member told me to return to my room because they thought I was a patient,카지노 게임 컬렉션� she says. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�Comments like that hurt, but you have to roll with it. I hope, with time, the public will become more used to seeing people with disabilities in the workforce.카지노 게임 컬렉션�
 
Recently, a supervising doctor she was meeting for the first time laughed when she saw Dr. Combaluzier in a wheelchair and asked why she was kidding around.
 
카지노 게임 컬렉션�I answered 카지노 게임 컬렉션�No 카지노 게임 컬렉션� I카지노 게임 컬렉션�m disabled,카지노 게임 컬렉션�카지노 게임 컬렉션� after which the supervisor was shocked and embarrassed. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�She apologized for the rest of the shift. I don카지노 게임 컬렉션�t think she will ever make that mistake again.카지노 게임 컬렉션�

These hurdles add to the broader challenges of being a woman in medicine.
 
카지노 게임 컬렉션�It카지노 게임 컬렉션�s not that different from a female physician being mistaken for a nurse. I get that all the time, too. It카지노 게임 컬렉션�s one of those misconceptions and stereotypes people hold.카지노 게임 컬렉션�

After the accident, Dr. Combaluzier finished her first year remotely and returned to Ireland to complete her degree. In another example of the scale of her determination, she rejoined the rock climbing club she카지노 게임 컬렉션�d been part of before the accident. That카지노 게임 컬렉션�s when she and Mr. Doran, who had been a climbing acquaintance, started spending more time together. He카지노 게임 컬렉션�s a passionate, able-bodied rock-climber and he gives her the confidence to climb without the use of her legs. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�He카지노 게임 컬렉션�s always going to make sure I카지노 게임 컬렉션�m safe.카지노 게임 컬렉션�
 
When she finished her medical degree, the couple moved to Canada for the 2021카지노 게임 컬렉션�22 ski season. Again defying expectations, they lived in a van in Whistler, B.C., to save money. Was it cold living in a van in the Rocky Mountains in winter?
 
카지노 게임 컬렉션�No!카지노 게임 컬렉션� she laughs. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�We had a heater. I was going to be on the road for most of the year, so we were kind of bums. We ate a lot of perogies that year.카지노 게임 컬렉션� That카지노 게임 컬렉션�s where Perogi the cockapoo got his name.

At this point, she was racing with the Paralympic prospects group in Europe. After two silvers and a bronze at the world championships in Norway, she qualified for the Paralympics. Would she be invited? She trained, and waited, and finally got the call for Beijing.

카지노 게임 컬렉션�The Paralympics were everything!카지노 게임 컬렉션� she says. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�They were a mix of fun and excitement, and the most stressful time of my life ever. All of a sudden, you카지노 게임 컬렉션�re on a world stage and there are cameras on you and you know your friends and family back home are watching you even though it카지노 게임 컬렉션�s 3 a.m. their time. It카지노 게임 컬렉션�s your time to shine, and I did not shine. For the first three races, I fell early on. It was the pressure to perform just mounting.카지노 게임 컬렉션�
 
She was not happy with her performance, but says there was value in knowing what it카지노 게임 컬렉션�s like to compete at the Paralympics. She hopes to use that knowledge to earn a medal at the Paralympics in Italy in 2026. And if she does, she카지노 게임 컬렉션�s heartened by the recent decision that Canadian Paralympians will be awarded the same prize money as their Olympic counterparts for winning medals, something that카지노 게임 컬렉션�s never happened in the past. That카지노 게임 컬렉션�s $20,000, $15,000, and $10,000 for gold, silver, and bronze respectively.
 
카지노 게임 컬렉션�I think it카지노 게임 컬렉션�s important, and it should have happened long ago.카지노 게임 컬렉션�

What Dr. Combaluzier describes as a bump in the road would be an insurmountable challenge for many. Her prescription for resilience? Focus on the positives and break challenges into smaller, more readily achievable goals. In other words, roll with it.
 
카지노 게임 컬렉션�I카지노 게임 컬렉션�m a cheery person, but I know that카지노 게임 컬렉션�s not easy for everyone. If you think too many steps into the future, it카지노 게임 컬렉션�s easy to get overwhelmed, so focus on minor steps. Make incremental gains and narrow your focus. Also, focus on the support you have. I was fortunate I had my family, but it can be difficult; I felt I had to be positive around other people. I saved the dark moments for myself.카지노 게임 컬렉션�
 
She foresees brighter moments once she and Mr. Doran, who works remotely as a software engineer, are living in Squamish. They plan a lot of rock climbing, an activity that카지노 게임 컬렉션�s just become a summer Paralympic sport.
 
카지노 게임 컬렉션�It would be cool to go to the Summer Games,카지노 게임 컬렉션� she says, showing photos of herself at Stawamus Chief (Siy'ám' Smánit), a granitic dome at Squamish. She also enjoys hand-cycling, another summer Paralympic sport, and she카지노 게임 컬렉션�s intrigued by the idea of vying for a spot on Canada카지노 게임 컬렉션�s cycling team.
 
She카지노 게임 컬렉션�s also focused on her career, with a goal to become a doctor for a Paralympic team. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�That would be full circle for me.카지노 게임 컬렉션�