After recovering from the neck injury, my neck was very stiff and lacked mobility. I had to start physical therapy, but it wasn’t improving. Then, an osteopath, Letizia Maddaluno, thought it was strange and asked me to have a dynamic cervical X-ray. Finally, we discovered that my neck was severely dislocated, with a risk of affecting my spinal cord. It was a big rush, and the following week I was on the surgery table, on July 5th 2018. It was very difficult time, but it also explained my lack of neck mobility and the pain I had experienced during the PyeongChang Olympics, now it made sense.
It was a seven-hour surgery performed by Dr. Carelli, who reduced C4 and C5, fused them, and performed a disc cage in the middle.
After about two months of recovering, I had to postpone my work as an instructor in Valle Nevado, but I managed to go to Corraldo, Chile at the end of the season to help with the Brazilian Championship and Snowboard Clinic, been very careful. I promise my doctor I would not take any risk and snowboarding would be the same as walking.
I was not easy to stop been an athlete, my life was running like that for more than 15 years, I had a routine and I always had a long planification ahead, toward World Cups, World Championships, and a major big goal, the Winter Olympic Games. I knew it was going to be my last Olympics, but I think the accident made it more obvious, so I had no chance to doubt about it.
I worked as a snowboard instructor from 1998 to 2004 and then stopped to dedicate myself exclusively to training and competitions. So, on the 2019 Chilean season, I returned teaching in Valle Nevado.
Teaching and sharing with students and feeling the gratification from each one was wonderful. At first, it wasn’t easy getting used to the pace on the mountain, having to be ready from 9 am to 5 pm with my boots on. It was like switching from strength training to endurance training, a marathon every day. Little by little, I adapted and fell in love with being on the mountain all the time, connecting with all its energy.
Been part of the organization at the Brazilian Championship was great, I got to know the competitors better. It was a great pleasure to teach three days of clinics and experience everyone’s motivation and development, a passion for the sport we all share!
At the end of the season, I had a great opportunity to shadow and coach the snowboard instructor courses at ENISSCHAG (Chile’s National School of Ski and Snowboard Instructors), where over 50 aspiring snowboarder instructors were introduced to levels 1, 2, and 3 instructor certification courses. It was an exciting learning and sharing experience alongside the school’s coaches and new instructors, motivated people passionate about the sport!
So finally I feel really good about retiring and starting to teach again and do other things, it is like a new beginning!
That’s it, everyone! Thank you so much for joining me, and see you next time!
