The ski community has banded together to support a Whistler Blackcomb Ski School instructor who was paralyzed on the job in an on-mountain accident last month.
Thirty-eight-year-old Chris Song was skiing in double black-diamond terrain on Jan. 28 when he suffered a “life-changing” accident, according to WB Ski School Kids manager Donna Kerr, who launched a GoFundMe campaign this weekend to support Song and his family as he embarks on his recovery.
According to Kerr, Song was airlifted to Vancouver General Hospital following the accident, where he underwent multiple surgeries. His injuries reportedly include multiple broken ribs, a broken left shoulder and "an extremely serious" back injury that has resulted in paralysis from the waist down, wrote Kerr. Song is expected to be in hospital for approximately two months, before being transferred to Vancouver's G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre. Song's rehabilitation therapy could take upwards of a year.
"Chris will never walk again, and healing will take years," Kerr added. "His life and the life of his family will never be the same."
A husband and father of two, Song and his wife Jieun have lived in Whistler for nine years. Their two young girls attend local schools, “learning to ski, bike, play soccer, do gymnastics, hiking and so much more,” Kerr wrote on the fundraising page. “It is our goal to ensure the Song family can continue to enjoy this wonderful place we all call home while also supporting Chris in his long road to recovery.”
Donations have poured in since the GoFundMe campaign was launched Saturday, Feb. 8, with more than $100,000 raised at press time. Kerr had originally set a target of $75,000, before upping it to $100,000, money that will help Song's family cover several major costs, including the purchase of a wheelchair and creating an accessible environment for when he returns home. Additionally, funds will also support Jieun and their two children cover basic necessities in the wake of Song’s injuries.
“We in Whistler know how lucky we are to live, work and play in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Whistler has an amazing, supportive community, and the Song family needs your help,” Kerr wrote. “As a community, this is our opportunity to offer Chris and his family the support and help that he would not hesitate to offer to anyone else.”
Kerr described Song as “caring, supportive, and welcoming” to everyone he meets. “His students in our Snow and Bike Schools only speak positively about their experiences, particularly how patient he is when teaching. Chris takes his time to guide and instruct each student at the level they are at with encouragement and positive feedback.”
As a result of the accident, Whistler Blackcomb confirmed it has restricted sliding in double-black terrain for certain types of Ski School lessons and instructor groups for the time being.
In a Jan. 31 internal staff email shared with Pique, a Ski School supervisor said the team is “reeling” from the accident, and that the Ski School “as a whole is looking into practices and terrain to hopefully avoid something similar happening to another one of our team.”
In a statement Feb. 7, Whistler Blackcomb’s COO Belinda Trembath said: “The entire Whistler Blackcomb team sends our sympathy and support to a member of our team who was seriously injured while skiing on the job on January 28. We are truly like family here at Whistler Blackcomb, and we are heartbroken that this incident occurred. The safety of our guests and employees is the most important thing to us, and we are conducting a comprehensive investigation of the incident.”
Donate to the fundraising campaign here.
