Feb 9, 2022 - Sports

Car crash survivor Colby Stevenson wins Olympic skiing silver for U.S.

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Silver medalist Colby Stevenson of Team United States celebrates during the Men's Freestyle Skiing Freeski Big Air Final flower ceremony on February 09, 2022 in Beijing, China — Silver medalist Colby Stevenson of Team USA celebrates on Day 5 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Big Air Shougan in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

Olympic debutant Colby Stevenson won Team USA a silver medal in the inaugural men's freestyle skiing big air competition at the Beijing Winter Games on Wednesday.

The big picture: The 24-year-old's achievement is all the more remarkable, given he nearly died in a 2016 car crash in rural Idaho that severely injured his brain. He also had broken multiple bones and was placed in a medically induced coma for three days.

What he's saying: "Five years after my car accident, I'm still using that as a life lesson to just live and enjoy every moment," Stevenson told People Magazine.

"Once you can appreciate the little things, then really impactful or big events in your life mean that much more," the Utah-based skier added.
"Just coming back to skiing for me ... I felt like I was a little kid just learning how to ride a bike and it's just ecstatic. So I'm just remembering that feeling."

Go deeper... In photos: Lindsey Jacobellis gold leads Winter Olympics Day 5 highlights... The Winter Olympics medal tracker

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Car crash survivor Colby Stevenson wins Olympic skiing silver for U.S.

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