Biathlete Shares Gripping Account of Her Accident and Recovery

Biathlete Juliane Frühwirt has opened up about the harrowing details of her accident that resulted in a broken jaw, damaged cheekbone, and a tongue transplant. The incident occurred during a pre-race warm-up in March at a sprint event in Galtür, where she accidentally impaled her face with a ski pole that went through her upper jaw.

Recalling that fateful day, Frühwirt described the chaos: "There was blood everywhere. I wanted to scream for help, but couldn’t. I quickly skied to the first aid tent. From the reactions of the people around me, I realized it was severe." She was swiftly airlifted to a clinic in Zams before being transported to Innsbruck for emergency surgery.

Frühwirt recounted, "The pain during surgery was the worst I’ve ever felt. The left side of my tongue was torn off and still lodged in the pole. After the surgery, my jaw joints were dislocated because of the swelling.” Additionally, her front teeth were left loose and broken.

Despite the severity of her injuries, by May, Frühwirt was driven to prepare for the upcoming biathlon season in an effort to secure her place in the World Cup. In an incredible feat of resilience, she participated in a challenging 70 km mountain run just 100 days after her accident, which she proudly labeled the "proudest DNF (Did Not Finish) of my career" after stopping at the 63 km mark.

Having lost her job due to underperformance in the previous season, she launched her own coaching business. Looking ahead, Frühwirt has aspirations to summit Mount Kilimanjaro with her parents next year, expressing gratitude that she can continue her athletic endeavors, which were momentarily put on hold by her accident.