Experience: I snowboarded down a mountain with a broken back
The pain was overwhelming. But I had no phone signal, and I knew nobody would be coming past
It was the penultimate day of our holiday: I’d gone snowboarding in France with my little brother and what we lacked in skill we made up for in enthusiasm, catching the first ski lift in the morning and the last lift in the afternoon. That day, fresh snow had been falling and we were in high spirits. We stopped near the top of an off-piste section that went through forests. I’d done this route a few times before and, as I was faster and more experienced, I let my brother disappear into the trees ahead, figuring I would soon catch up.
I began to pick up speed when I was suddenly thrown off balance. I didn’t fall but I lost control of the board. I was unable to turn, instead going in a straight line, gathering speed. Just as I was regaining control, I smashed into the trunk of a large tree.