Biathlete Juliane Frühwirt has been badly scarred by an accident, and her sporting career is also in jeopardy. But she is fighting and wants to inspire others with her story.
Despite her tongue transplant following a serious racing accident, biathlete Juliane Frühwirt wants to get back into sport this year. “I want to establish myself in the World Cup. But it’s no longer a must, I’m completely free now and have a completely different sense of gratitude, not just in sport,” the 26-year-old told the German Press Agency. Despite all the dramatic circumstances, she has gained a lot of positive experiences from the accident. “What other people think or the expectations of others of me no longer weigh on me so much. That’s a good feeling.”
On March 21, the ski hunter, who was born in Gotha, fell in adverse conditions on a downhill run while warming up for a cross-country sprint race in Galtür, Austria. She hit herself in the face with her left pole. It pierced her left cheek, tore off part of her tongue, broke her jaw and cheekbone, and knocked out her front teeth.
“Looked like Quasimodo”
She pulled the stick out of her face herself and thought, “Damn, the race is over.” Only when she realized that she could no longer call for help did she know that it was serious. She was flown by helicopter to a clinic in Zams, from where she went on to Innsbruck for surgery.
“During the operation, I had the worst pain of my life. The piece of my tongue was still stuck in the stock. My tongue was so swollen after the operation that my jaw joints were dislocated,” said Frühwirt, who won gold in the sprint at the 2016 Youth Olympic Winter Games. After part of her tongue was transplanted, she had to learn to swallow and drink again. “I looked like Quasimodo.” She refused a gastric tube; she wanted to fight. And she succeeded. Now only a small scar on her cheek reminds her of the injury.
Always by her side: her parents, friends and her home trainers, including Bernhard Kröll, who has already trained Magdalena Neuner and Laura Dahlmeier. She is deeply grateful to all of them. Frühwirt began preparing for the new season in May. 100 days after the accident, she took part in the Stubai Ultratrail K 70 and managed an impressive 63 kilometers.
New opportunities and old goals
After the accident, she lost her job with customs authorities due to a lack of performance in the previous season. That was tough. But she saw it as an opportunity and started her own coaching business on the side. “That also gives me an incredible amount to remember – I can help my customers to make their dreams come true.”
Frühwirt has not yet given up on her dream of competing in the World Cup. But above all, she wants to use her story to help others. “The accident showed me that we have the opportunity to inspire people in competitive sports,” said the 26-year-old. Many people have written to her saying that her story has given them strength and motivation. “If I have helped just one person, it will have been worth it for me.”
Source: Stern
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