Long period of suffering

502 days later: Max Franz back on the slopes

Max Franz on the left in December 2022, both lower legs broken. 16 months later, he's back on the slopes on skis.(Bild: GEPA pictures, instagram.com/maxfranzz)

Good news from Max Franz! The 34-year-old is fighting for his comeback after his horror crash in December 2022. Now he's back on skis on the slopes.

"Something has really progressed in the last three weeks. I can walk for longer at a time," Franz recently said at the World Cup final in Saalbach. He had broken both lower legs in a training crash 16 months ago in Colorado. The nerve was 80 percent severed, the tissue severely damaged and the surgical scars are reportedly 114.5 centimetres long. In the meantime, 19 screws were stuck in his feet. Franz has often had to revise his goals since the stroke of fate. The Carinthian was in a wheelchair for a long time and first had to learn to walk again. Motivation dampeners and setbacks were part of everyday life. However, the healing process after another operation before Christmas gave him a boost. "The bone is finally becoming stable. The nerve pain is more, but that's a good sign, more is coming back."

"Mini tour that means so much to me"
Now things are looking up again - in the truest sense of the word. Because the 34-year-old published two pictures showing him on skis on the slopes. Together with his medical consultant Jürgen Mandl, he went on a ski tour to the Gasselhöh in Schladming. "A special moment that I was able to experience with my doctor, Dr. Jürgen Mandl, by my side. Thank you for the incredible mini tour, which means so much to me," wrote Franz.

Beautiful pictures that give his fans a lot of hope that he will return next season.