Portland, OR, May 25, 2001--Two months after a racing crash that left him near death, former Olympic downhill champion Bill Johnson said on Friday that he planned to ski again.
Officials at Providence Portland Medical Center told a press conference that Johnson, 41, who was injured March 22 at Big Mountain, Mont., would be moving next week to The Center for Neurological Skills in Bakersfield, Calif., for the next phase of his rehabilitation.
"I want to ski," Johnson told the press conference. "I will ski again."
Johnson suffered a severe head injury in the crash and originally underwent life-saving surgery at Kalispell Regional Medical Center. While still in a coma, he was transferred April 11 to the Portland hospital. Since coming out of the coma, he has regained some of his speaking ability and walks with limited assistance. A fulltime rehab specialist is working with him.
