“It breaks my heart”
Winter athlete falls badly – and is paralyzed
12/28/2025 – 4:56 p.mReading time: 1 min.
William Bostadløkken is considered an up-and-coming young athlete in freestyle skiing. But a serious injury will probably end his career.
A serious training fall fundamentally changed William Bostadløkken’s life. The 20-year-old Norwegian young athlete injured himself so badly in Steamboat, USA, that he suffered several fractures – including his spine.
“It breaks my heart to write this,” his post on Instagram begins. “I broke my spine, my shoulders and some ribs.” He underwent surgery in Denver just a day later. “The procedure was successful, but I remained paralyzed from the point of injury. Now I’m back in Norway and ready to give everything I can in rehab. I dream of being able to ski again one day,” he added.
“This is what I love most in the world, this is what I live for. It will be the biggest challenge I have ever faced and there is no guarantee it will work.”
Bostadløkken was part of the Norwegian national development team. Freestyle skiing has been an Olympic sport since 1992.