Australian Paralympic skiing legend Michael Milton has undergone surgery in Denver to repair the fractured femur he suffered last week in a fall while free skiing at Winter Park, Colorado.
Michael underwent an open reduction internal fixation of the left femoral neck last Friday. The operation — performed by orthopaedic surgeon Justin Hellwinkel, MD, at Denver Health — involved stabilising the fracture with three 7.5 cm screws.
He is currently in Denver and will remain in the United States for the next two weeks, before a follow-up appointment with Dr Hellwinkel. He is hoping to get medical clearance to travel to Italy in time for the Australian Paralympic team announcement ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games.
If selected, Michael will work with the Paralympic Team medical crew to give him the best chance of reaching the start gate in March — just weeks after his surgery.
Michael is feeling positive about his chances of racing:
“A fractured femur sounds serious but I don’t have a leg hanging off mine, putting pressure on the break and the repair. I’m being super careful and getting lots of rest. Two days post-surgery and I am feeling pretty good,” he said.
“I’ve come way too far in this comeback journey to give up now. Once I am clear to fly, I will be off to Italy to continue my recovery there.”
Paralympics Australia’s Chef de Mission Ben Troy also expressed confidence in Michael’s resilience and the support being provided:
“Michael has done incredibly well just to put himself in contention to compete at Milano Cortina. He’s raced across two continents and shown incredible determination to become eligible for five different Para alpine skiing events. This mishap is unfortunate, but we’ll be giving Michael all the support and time he needs. We hope for the best.”
The break occurred when Michael hit a slick patch of snow while skiing to the bottom of the hill following a training run in Colorado. He landed on the stump of his left leg, fracturing the femur at a different location to the break he suffered nearly a year ago in Austria during preparations for the Haute Route.
The Australian Paralympic Team is due to be officially announced on 27 February in Dobbiaco, Italy, with streaming available on Paralympics Australia’s channels.