BY MATT SCHOOLEY
Faced with the decision
to amputate his
right leg or struggle
to walk without the use
a cane for the rest of his
life, Jon Parker took some
time to weigh his options
– about five seconds.
The Bow resident, then
15, had been cut off by a
skier on his last ski run of
the day at Burke Mountain
Academy in Vermont,
when he was sent out of
control into a tree.
Laying face down in
the snow, Parker dug a
hole so he could breath long
enough to yell to passing skiers
for help.
After seven surgeries on his
leg, Parker’s parents came to him
with what they thought was a
difficult decision, prepared with
therapists ready to talk through
the options.
“I looked it up online and saw
that people can run with prosthetics
and do anything with it.
I was excited for it,” said Parker.
“I immediately went with that
decision (to amputate).”
That was January 2005.
Now, three years after the
accident, Parker has done exactly
what he hoped. With the help
of a prosthetic leg, he now is
able to water ski, golf, dirt bike
and get back to the slopes to continue
his passion for downhill
ski racing.
Jake Manseau, who has
known and coached Parker for
about five years, was shocked
when he heard the news.
“I couldn’t believe it was happening.
Within hours I was in
my car rushing up to Dartmouth
Hospital. It was terrifying to
see any athlete or friend in that
state,” he said.
Manseau said he has developed
more than a coaching relationship
with Parker.
“He’s a tough SOB. He’s
tough and determined and is
willing to do anything to exceed
to the next level,” said Manseau.
“He’s loyal and a genuine person.
I’ve grown close with him
since his accident. We really
have developed a friendship
through ski racing.”
Parker said he has gained a
new perspective since the accident.
“I had to be positive about
the whole situation. I was lucky
to be alive. I started caring more
about the little things in life
like having breaths of fresh air
instead of lying in the bed,” said
Parker. “Sometimes I miss my
leg, but it was in such bad condition
that I knew it was the best
thing to do. I had to be confident
with my decision.”
Parker is working with Next
Step Orthotics and Prosthetics
in Manchester, where he met
Jason Lalla, who lost his leg in a
motorcycle accident. Lalla said
he believes his own past helps
him relate to clients.
“Right off the bat there’s a
sense of camaraderie and trust.
People look at you as a believable,
credible source,” said Lalla.
“You’ve been there yourself
and have that experience how
things work and feel. The other
side of it is that it is a mental
adjustment. People respect that
you’ve been through the same
mental process as you’ve been
through.”
Lalla, a former U.S. Disabled
Ski Team gold medalist, has also
been working to get Parker back
to the level of ski racing he was
at before the accident.
“I admire him in the sense
that I know it’s frustrating for
him. He was an excellent ski
racer prior to his accident. It’s
going back and learning to do
something that he knows how to
do,” said Lalla.
Parker now cruises down the
slopes on one ski with two poles
that also have skis attached to
the bottom. He said learning to
do things again has been frustrating.
“The level I was at before the
accident, I’m not quite there yet.
From going to an elite level to
back toward the bottom of the
charts is pretty hard,” he said.
“Doing things for the first time
can be challenging, even like
going on rollercoasters and getting
in the cart. “
Parker, who hopes to get a
spot on the UNH ski team next
year, said the most important
lesson he’s learned over the past
three years is perseverance.
“When you set your mind to
do something, anything is possible,”
he said. “You can overcome
anything from lying in the
hospital to a year later skiing
and water skiing. It really shows
that you can do whatever you
set your mind to. Just not to give
up has been the biggest thing.”