Park City native Colby Stevenson claims silver medal after near-fatal car crash
Feb 9, 2022, 11:52 AM | Updated: 1:51 pm
Silver medalist Colby Stevenson of Team United States celebrates after the Men's Freestyle Skiing Freeski Big Air Final on Day 5 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Big Air Shougang on February 09, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
(Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY — Six years ago, Colby Stevenson nearly lost his life in a rollover crash in Oregon. Now, the Park City native will return to the U.S. with a silver medal.
Stevenson earned the medal Wednesday after his second-place finish in the men’s big air ski event final. Friends and family gathered to watch in Park City, erupting in cheers once his final score was announced.
There is so much love and support for @colbyskier in his hometown of Park City. His mom, dad and all of his other supporters celebrated in style when he landed his final jump. And then… the reaction to his silver medal score!#KSLOlympics l @KSLSports l @KSL5TV l #Beijing2022 pic.twitter.com/I3fgOxTgMR
— Sam Farnsworth (@Samsworth_KSL) February 9, 2022
KSL TV’s Alex Cabrero surprised Stevenson with his family’s reaction during an interview after the competition in Bejing.
Park City's Colby Stevenson won the Silver Medal in the Men's Big Air competition here at the Beijing Olympics today. He sat down with me afterwards for an interview. I surprised him with video of his parents at a watch party when he earned the Silver. @KSL5TV / @kslsports pic.twitter.com/e3uuj39fLA
— Alex Cabrero (@KSL_AlexCabrero) February 9, 2022
The result seems miraculous, considering Stevenson suffered traumatic injuries after he fell asleep at the wheel and rolled his truck several times in a 2016 crash near Mount Hood, Oregon.
“So I basically shattered the whole right side of my skull,” Stevenson said, adding he broke several bones and a couple of vertebrae in his neck, damaged his eye socket and injured his jaw.
“It was like six months of hell, basically,” he said. “And then I was back skiing, and everything was somehow alright.”
Stevenson said he shifted his focus from wanting to win to being grateful for the chance to live, travel and compete — which helped him find what it takes to win in competitions.
“My first world cup back after the accident was in Italy, and I remember being at the top of my run and closing my eyes and thinking of all my loved ones,” Stevenson said. (I opened) my eyes and then dropped into my run, and won the world cup.”
.@colbyskier's mom Carol told me a cool story about the headband that he's holding in this photo. It is made from the t-shirt he was wearing when he got in his car accident six years ago. He wore it under his helmet, winning a silver medal.#KSLOlympics l @KSLSports l @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/xtxWafDKif
— Sam Farnsworth (@Samsworth_KSL) February 9, 2022
“If you can somehow do it out of love, then that’s going to be your best shot.”
At Tuesday night’s watch party in Park City, Stevenson’s mother told KSL Sports’ Sam Farnsworth her son made a headband out of the shirt he was wearing the night of the 2016 crash, and he wore it under his helmet as he won his silver medal.
“We are so happy for our wonderful kid,” Carol Stevenson said.
