JACKSON, Wyo.—Most skiers recovering from a major knee injury return to the snow with caution and patience. Maybe a slow, patient run here or a calculated turn there.
Seppi Stiegler remembers the first time he carved a turn after he tore knee ligaments last winter: It was when he skied the Middle Teton this summer.
So much for easing back into it.
The son of Olympic gold medal winner Pepi Stiegler is the brother of Olympian Resi Stiegler and a 2006 Jackson Hole High School graduate. He is hoping to bring that same fearless attitude to the snow this winter as the alpine skier tries to bounce back from a knee injury and lead his University of Denver men’s ski team to a fourth consecutive NCAA title.
“I’ve been getting better,” Stiegler said, “but (my college career) went fast. I’m expecting a lot this year and hope things work out.”
Stiegler had plans for a big junior season last year. Those hopes were dashed, however, when he blew out his left knee in a competition on Jan. 15 at Big Sky, Mont. Stiegler tore his anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments as well as his meniscus.
“I was bummed, for sure,” he said. “I just figured, ‘That’s how it is.'”
The injury was nothing foreign to the Stiegler family. Resi Stiegler saw her 2010 Olympic dreams dashed when she fell and suffered a major knee injury training with the United States team in Colorado prior to the Vancouver Games. The injury marked the third consecutive winter Resi had been knocked out of action due to an injury.
Stiegler said his sister offered advice in dealing with the injury.
“She was super helpful in the little details and what kind of program I need to be on to get back to normal,” he said. “Other than that, we have a pretty good training program at Denver. It was just a lot of physical therapy.”
He said with both being injured, they also got to visit each other more than usual.
“I got to see her a whole lot more,” he said. “I’d say it strengthened our relationship as well.”
Stiegler was forced to sit on the sidelines and watch as the Pioneers skied to a third consecutive national title. Watching, rather than competing, created plenty of anxiety, he said.
“It was more nerve-wracking than anything,” he said. “You’re just watching.”
Stiegler’s rehabilitation has been smooth, he said. He skied the Middle Teton this summer, then spent several days skiing in Loveland, Colo., in mid-October.
“I’m pretty much back,” he said. “I have a slight strength deficiency. I ski with a brace on, even though I don’t need to. But it feels good.”
Stiegler is so highly regarded by his teammates that he was voted as the team’s captain heading into this season. The Pioneers will begin the quest for a four-peat with a season-opening meet Jan. 8 in Park City, Utah.
“It means a lot to me as far as what my teammates think of me and a respect kind of thing,” he said. “Experience plays into that as well.”
Stiegler also earned another honor when he was chosen to compete at the World University Games in Turkey next month. The U.S. team is comprised of the top college skiers in the country, and Stiegler is joined on the squad by several Pioneer teammates.
An accomplished member of the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club, Stiegler took a year off from college after graduating high school.
He enrolled at Denver in 2007 and made a splash during his freshman season. He became Denver’s only freshman to qualify for the NCAA Championships when he finished second in the slalom and 22nd in the giant slalom. He earned first-team All-American honors in slalom.
“My freshman year was fun and exciting,” he said.
Stiegler joined the team as a walk-on but was so impressive his first year that he was put on scholarship. He has been a contributor in three straight national titles.
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Information from: Jackson Hole News And Guide,
