A year ago she was told she would never ski again after smashing both legs in a horror accident.
But gritty Eilidh McLeod is back on the piste – and proved the doctors wrong by winning a super giant slalom event at the British Universities competition last month.
Geography student Miss McLeod, 22, of Aberdeen, was destined for success in the British Winter Olympics team when she smashed both legs while racing in Italy.
After spending weeks in hospital, followed by a gruelling rehabilitation programme, Miss McLeod – who learned to ski as a child by strapping plastic skis to her wellies – said she was over the moon at her comeback.
She added: ‘I’m absolutely delighted. It’s so good to beat my old rivals. It’s an amazing feeling when you consider I was told that I wouldn’t ski ever again.
‘It was February 2010 when I broke both my legs while racing. It was just one of those things. I had a very nasty fall.
‘I broke my shin in multiple places, which meant it had to be nailed back together, and there was also another fracture on the tibial plateau on my left knee. All in all, it meant I would have a very long recovery.
‘All the surgeons came round and said “You’re going to have to find a new sport” which is easier said than done. I always had a determination to prove them wrong, although there were times when I didn’t think I could recover.
‘There were complications with my knee and it wouldn’t straighten. One surgeon said “I’ll try to fix it but there are no guarantees”.
'At that point I felt there was nothing else I could do but give it a try and he somehow managed to get my leg straight. From then on I’ve built up my fitness to the point that I can ski competitively again.’
Champion: Eilidh McLeod won an event at the British Universities competition (left with trophy, right competing)
Now Miss McLeod is back winning trophies, she has set her sights on a place at the Winter Olympics.
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She said: ‘The 2014 Olympics is going to come too quickly for me after so long out of the sport but the next one after that is definitely one to aim for.
‘At the moment it’s just one step at a time. If things go well with training for the rest of this year, then 2018 is a realistic hope, but it’s so long away you never know what will happen.’