After winning two Olympic gold medals — the first two ever awarded in his sport of snowboard cross — Maine’s Seth Wescott was among those expected to contend for another medal at the 2014 Sochi, Russia Games.
Some thought the quest for that third gold medal ended on an Alaska mountain in April, when Wescott plunged into a crevasse at 50 mph. Wescott tore several knee ligaments, and faced extensive rehabilitation … and the Olympics were less than 10 months away.
Wescott got to work, and is now pursuing that third straight medal. The journey has not been an easy one, and in a press release Wescott admitted that he feared the injuries might make further Olympic competition impossible.
“I definitely had that moment when I thought, ‘Could this be the end of my Olympic career?'” Wescott said.
Sugarloaf — Wescott’s home mountain — has announced that it will debut a video series on Wescott’s crash, recovery and quest for gold. The first installment, of the series, titled “Surgery to Sochi,” debuts today at 2 p.m.
The series was filmed and edited by Sugarloaf videographer Taylor Walker. According to the Sugarloaf news release, the series will feature footage from every step of his recovery. Wescott’s own helmet camera footage of the crash is also included.
A video series called “Surgery to Sochi” follows Maine Olympian Seth Wescott as he recovers from an accident and knee injuries and tries to win a third Olympic gold medal. (Photo courtesy of Sugarloaf)
“We’ve worked hard to really get inside Seth’s head and find out what it’s like to go through this process,” Walker said. “He’s a superstar athlete, so it’s different to hear him talk about his fears and doubts immediately following his injury. It’s a side of him we don’t typically see.”
The series begins in Alaska, where Wescott describes the run that ended in the crevasse. From there, Wescott is followed to Colorado, where he undergoes surgery, and back to Maine for the beginning of the recovery phase. After that, according to the release, Wescott travels to New Zealand for his first turns on snow, before competing on the World Cup series and battling for one of just four spots on the U.S. Olympic Team.
The “Surgery to Sochi” release schedule:
- Dec. 4
- Dec. 24
- Jan. 15
- Feb. 5
As the series airs, viewers will be encouraged to share their thoughts and questions with Wescott on social media outlets using the hastag #Seth2014.
Follow John Holyoke on Twitter: @JohnHolyoke
