Perth Skier Suffers Broken Back

A Perth skier's in hospital after breaking her back in a horror smash on the slopes.

Charlie Guest landed on a boulder during a training session in Sweden.

Doctors say the accident could have been devastatingly different if it wasn't for the back protector she was wearing.

The 20 year old's now back in the UK and is being closely monitored by physios.

Charlie said:

"The accident happened in quite a remote area, so after 8 hours strapped down to a board and a 250km ambulance journey I was pretty terrified about how serious my injuries were.

"Whilst I'm devastated that I am going to have to take time out to recover, I realise how extremely lucky I am that my injuries are not more severe. I owe my coach Stefan the biggest thank you of my life for his insistence that I wear my back protector."

Stefan Moser, Charlie's coach, commented:

"Safety should come first, ahead of anything else and I began to insist that Charlie wore her back protector, no excuses.

"I saw Charlie's accident and I know she is very fortunate to be looking at a full recovery, even if it keeps her out of action for some time."

This was only the third time Charlie had worn her back support when Giant Slalom training, but now, after a major scare, she wants to see back protection become a compulsory safety requirement for all skiers across the disciplines.

Charlie added:

"This was a massive reality check for me. I won't be skiing again without wearing the correct safety gear.

"As someone who spends so much time dedicating myself to my sport, it is easy to forget just how dangerous skiing can be.

"It is so important to think about safety and I want to help other people avoid career-ending and even life threatening injuries. It could so easily have been a different story for me."