A Methven free-skier has defied the odds, returning to the mountains after breaking his back in a harrowing crash.
Jon Dehler, who was left paralysed from the waist down, is now using a ski field as therapy.
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The California expat can't feel his left leg, but that doesn't stop him scaling up Mt Hutt ski field.
"Whenever there's snow on the mountain, my goal is to go skiing," he says.
Back in the '90s, Mr Dehler was a big name in the local ski industry. He was everywhere, from big air competitions to downhill champs and moguls. It all came to a sudden end in 1999, when he broke his back in a motocross crash.
"I was out riding my dirt bike, and I came off, went over my bars. And the next thing I knew I was unconscious and unable to move my legs. I was paralysed from the waist down."
He got some movement back when doctors fused his spine and inserted two rods and seven screws. He can now ski again using a supportive leg brace.
"There's a walk mode, and if I flip the switch the tension goes on, and it increases my strength," he says.
His daily routine is a gruelling hike up the side of the mountain, with the punishing climb aiding and strengthening his legs.
Always at his side is Rocky, his trusty Australian Shepherd cross.
"He's the patient one who has to wait for me because I'm so slow," Mr Dehler says.
At the top, he has to get off his skis to prepare for the run. The final hurdle is standing up unaided, and then the reward - skiing down.
"With hard work hopefully comes reward, so keep at it and keep believing," Mr Dehler says.
Step by step, the mountain is making him whole again.
Newshub.
