This week, Kay has been in France skiing with her husband and in-laws. They had return flights to Geneva and hired a car to drive over the border to France. There were six of them - Kay, Darcy, Darcy's parents, Darcy's sister and her boyfriend. The boyfriend is an excellent skier and has been teaching everyone else, first on the nursery slopes and then graduating to the steeper more complicated ones. Kay did some skiing in France with her school when she was about 14, but to be fair that was a long time ago, so she needed some refreshing. To start with it was good news coming in and an amazing video of Kay doing a ten-minute ski down a very steep slope. Unfortunately it coincided with the news that the US Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn had had a terrible accident doing her Olympic downhill ski-racing and was airlifted to hospital with multiple leg fractures.
The next day Kay texted me to say she was having a coffee in a cafe as she had taken a few tumbles and it had shaken her confidence. I could not wait for the week to finish and hear that they were flying home again. A mother never stops worrying, no matter how old their child is.
10 comments:
Like your daughter, I went on a skiing trip from school when I was 14 - the first and only time in my life. Being one of only two or three others in my class who had never been skiing before, I found it frightening at first but soon (sort of) got the hang of it. About half way through the trip, one of the most experienced skiers in our group fell and broke her leg; she spent the rest of the time in hospital, but generously lent me her skiing outfit, which was much nicer than what I my Mum had been able to cobble together from various friends. None of us beginners had more than a few harmless tumbles in the snow, but this girl and a boy from our class (who had been skiing since he was about 4 years old) ended up in hospital.
I can well understand that Kay's confidence was shaken. The older we get (and I guess she's much younger than I am) the harder we take a fall or accident of any kind.
I can completely understand your worry. Skiing can be a risky pleasure. Our group of friends that we have just travelled with are keen on skiing and often invite us to join them. With my worsening balance issues I don't think that would be a good idea!
Friends just back from skiing described the 30 minutes it takes to get all the various layers and equipment on, then navigating on and off the gondolas before they even hit the slopes. I was exhausted just listening to the prep.
Plus, I agree you never stop worrying about your children.
I must admit skiing has never appealed to me, but then I am not a sporty person anyway. I don't even enjoy watching sport either.
I don't blame you. It doesn't appeal to me either and, at 75, I don't intend to start learning.
Also, unless you are a regular skier, buying all the right clothes and gear is very costly for a one-off holiday.
I went skiing once with my school and loved it. No-one in my group had any accidents but one girl was terribly sunburnt, with great blisters on her face.
I suppose I ought to try it once, but have a feeling I'd end up more on the floor than upright!
During the skiing season, you always know when a flight has just come in from The Alps or The Pyrenees. Half the passengers are wearing plaster casts or using crutches. I am glad that your lass survived.
Yes, I am glad she is home in one piece and no plaster casts or crutches in sight!
Post a Comment