Pro snowboarder and Flylow athlete Claire Hewitt Demeyer documents the long, hard journey of recovering from an injury and getting back into the mountains with a renewed sense of appreciation.
Sometimes it takes a few steps backwards to make it up the hill. South Lake Tahoe-based pro snowboarder Claire Hewitt Demeyer knows that better than anyone. In 2022, she had to take a year off from snowboarding to recover from ACL and double meniscus surgery (she tore her knee in seven places). She came back stronger than ever. That process is documented in a new film, called “Next Steps,” which came out in February.
“As an athlete, I don’t usually think about injuries, but this one rocked my world—and messed with my identity,” Claire wrote in a story for Backcountry magazine. “As someone who struggles to sit still; who is always excited for the next adventure, any amount of downtime is a challenge.”
Claire back on snow for the first time after her injury
We can all relate to that. Active people who love being outside have a hard time staying still indoors. Claire found solace during her recovery through unique methods. “Losing my ability to walk forced me to find creative ways to enjoy the outdoors. I caught the tail end of fall in Lake Tahoe and crutched my way to the nearby beaches and meadows with my favorite canine, Buddy. Tommy Bahama chair strapped to my back, packed with essentials (coloring book, chocolate and headphones for my audiobooks), I would take grand adventures—of about 50 feet—before feeling exhausted,” she writes.
She was able to snowboard again at the end of 2022, just in time for Tahoe to be hit with a record-breaking amount of snowfall. “Though overwhelmed with joy to be back in the mountains, my happy place, I found myself nervous about making one wrong move and ending up on the operating table, again,” Claire writes.
Check out her film “Next Steps” to learn more about Claire and her journey. You can follow Claire’s adventures here.