The 24-year-old freestyle skier, who calls Park City, Utah, his home, scored 183.00 after his three runs and secured second place.
Birk Ruud of Norway took the gold medal with 187.75 and Henrik Harlaut of Sweden won bronze with 181.00.
Stevenson, a first-time Olympian who got on a pair of skis before he was 2 years old, won the first-ever silver medal in the men’s freestyle skiing big air competition as it made its debut as an Olympic discipline this year.
Stevenson’s performance was stellar, but his victory is even more spectacular, especially after he fought for his life five years ago following a skull-shattering car crash.
On Mother’s Day 2016, Stevenson, who was 18 at the time, fell asleep at the wheel while driving a friend’s truck on a remote highway in Idaho. He overcorrected and the vehicle rolled over several times before the roof collapsed. The athlete cracked his skull in 30 places, suffered a severe brain injury, shattered multiple bones and was put in a medically-induced coma for three days.
Last fall, Stevenson, who has a scar that runs from his right eyebrow, told PEOPLE that he cherishes every moment in his life after surviving what would’ve been a career-ending accident.
“Five years after my car accident, I’m still using that as a life lesson to just live and enjoy every moment. Enjoy the little things in life because we’re so lucky to live the life we do, take a shower every day and eat delicious food,” Stevenson said.
“Once you can appreciate the little things then really impactful or big events in your life mean that much more,” he continued. “Just coming back to skiing for me was like, I felt like I was a little kid just learning how to ride a bike and it’s just ecstatic. So I’m just remembering that feeling.”
Sharing the life advice he would give to anyone going through a tough time or recovering from a traumatic injury, Stevenson said “your character will be developed in your darkest times.”
“That shows who you truly are and it’s scary to feel who you really are. Start to feel what you’re grateful for. Look at what you have and other people don’t, even when you’re in your darkest, I know there’re some things that you have that other people don’t,” he shared.
Along with being grateful for his career and the ability to compete at the highest level, Stevenson said he relishes the time he spends with his family.
“I get to hang out with my family, I get to play cards with my grandmother. These were things I learned after my car accident that I was like, ‘Okay I’m enjoying these things even though that’s all I can do. I’m happy to just do that.’ And then I mean with injuries, the more things you start to get back to in your life that you enjoy, you’re more grateful for it,” he said.
“If you can just find a way to enjoy the little things, then all the other things in life fall into place and it’s going to work,” Stevenson advised.
To learn more about Team USA, visitTeamUSA.org. Watch the Winter Olympics, now, and the Paralympics, beginning March 4, on NBC.
source: people.com
