Determined Skier Faces Adversity

MOUNT SPOKANE – Just nine months after suffering a paralyzing injury on the ski slopes, one senior from Ferris High School is heading back up to the mountains.

Tom Everett is 17 years old, and a devastating injury left him paralyzed from the waist down. During a ski trip last spring to Schweitzer Mountain, Everett went off of a jump and took a big fall, leaving him with a debilitating spinal chord injury.

However, Everett is now putting his accident in the past as he hits the slopes once again.

“Yeah you got to do something in the winter. I mean I used to ski so much that why not right?” Everett said.

On Saturday, Everett took his second ski lesson at Mount Spokane as he tries to get the hang of a new style of skiing.

He’s learning how to do one of his favorite sports again, but this time, things are a little different, as Everett is working with the adaptive skiing program.

It’s going to take some time for him to perfect his skills, but Everett is facing the challenges ahead with the right kind of attitude.

“Today with all the technology and innovation, there’s just so many options out there for everybody that as long as you have the motivation and the courage to try it, the sky’s the limit, right?”

He may not be able to do all of the tricks he once did, but he will certainly not let his injury stop him from living his life to the fullest.

This most recent ski adventure is just one of the ways Everett is looking toward the future as he starts college in the fall.