Young Athlete Shows Courage, Strength After Crash
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - Kailyn Forsberg has always been an athlete.
The 15-year-old was a star at her high school in Gypsum. She played football with the boys and led the lacrosse team.
However, her true passion is skiing.
"Skiing is really fun in general and when you add the competition, it's more," said Forsberg.
She is known for her backflips and rail jams on skis.
She had dreams of competing professionally, but she has redefined that dream after a bad fall.
She reasons "even if I can't walk again ... there are still skiing options."
Forsberg recently shared with CBS4 her memories of the moment when her life changed in an instant.
She was about to compete in the slopestyle competition on Copper Mountain last month. She was uneasy about the jumps, but attempted them first in a practice run.
That's when Forsberg says "I went to do a backflip and I over-rotated. My feet kept going and I landed on my neck, like backwards. Everything went numb and I thought 'Uh oh, this isn't good.' "
Forsberg's C-7 vertebrae shattered, sending a piece of bone into her spinal cord. Now, the teen who family members describe as "tough" is fighting to reclaim her life. She is paralyzed from the chest down.
Forsberg invited CBS4 to Craig Hospital in Englewood 21 days after the accident. She was cracking jokes and smiling in front of family and friends. She let the CBS4 crew watch as she started mat therapy for the first time.
"She's not giving up. We are going to fight and hopefully we will be walking out of here," said her mother.
Forsberg's 10-year-old sister says she admires her sister who "never gives up."
The town of Gypsum is behind Forsberg. Many friends have sent her stuffed animals, posters and T-shirts and cards full of well wishes.
Forsberg says she relies on a positive attitude to get her through the day, but she admits it's hard. Now simply texting can leave her sore.
As CBS4 observed Forsberg muscle her way through her exercises in therapy, it's clear she flexes a different sort of muscle: her strong determination.
She shows everyone the power of grace as she handles everything with her head held high.
"I just try to keep a positive attitude," she said. "It already happened, no point in being sad about it. I just try to make things better."
Forsberg's family needs help offsetting some of the costs of her long term and short term care. If you would like to follow Kailyn's journey and help, go to a special page on youcaring.com
Britt Moreno anchors the CBS4 morning and noon newscasts and is the Wednesday's Child reporter. She loves hearing from viewers. Connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @brittmorenotv.
