FREESTYLE skier Lloyd Wallace reflected on his astonishing recovery from serious injury as he followed in the footsteps of his parents by taking part in the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang this morning.
Less than six months after being airlifted from a crash and placed in an induced coma, the 23-year-old, from Semley near Warminster, scored 100.03 to finish in 20th in the men's aerials competition.
Although that wasn't enough to make tomorrow's final, the Wiltshire competitor looked back with pride and some disbelief at his journey to the competition in South Korea.
“It's been a crazy six months,” he said,”They put me into a coma in August and I've had to come back from severe concussion and losing muscle mass. I've had to work extremely hard.
"But I've got here, I've jumped at the Olympics and I'm an Olympian. It's unbelievable.''
He added: "It was a performance. I was very close in my first jump to stomping it. Going over the handlebars is always closer than landing or doing a back slap.
“I was really close and pretty upset that I didn't land that one but I landed my second one and I was extremely pumped to put one on my feet in front of all my friends and family. It's been an amazing experience.
“It's been so cool here at the Games, I definitely want to come back.”
“My season has gone from huge highs of getting back into it and then really low lows of midway through the season when things weren't going too well and qualification for the Olympics was on the line.
"But I've got here, I've jumped at the Olympics, I've competed and I'm an Olympian. It's unbelievable.”
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