Nick Fairall Injured While Competing in Austria

Stablized by emergency surgery

January 18, 2015 • Saved under Sports
Press release
Nick Fairall of Andover gives the "thumbs up" sign from his hospital bed in Austria after emergency surgery for a serious spine injury he sustained while competing in Bischofshofen in January. He will be out for the rest of the ski jumping season. To help with the high costs of his treatment and rehabilitation, you can make a tax-deductible donation to Nick at AndoverBeacon.com/Nick-Rally.
Nick Fairall of Andover gives the “thumbs up” sign from his hospital bed in Austria after emergency surgery for a serious spine injury he sustained while competing in Bischofshofen in January. He will be out for the rest of the ski jumping season. To help with the high costs of his treatment and rehabilitation, you can make a tax-deductible donation to Nick at AndoverBeacon.com/Nick-Rally.

Nicholas Fairall, 25, of Andover, sustained a serious spine injury on January 5 when he fell while ski jumping in the final event of the 4-Hills-Tournament in Bischofshofen, Austria. Nick, a member of the USA Ski Jumping team, a 2014 Sochi Olympian, and a popular coach at AE/MS and the Andover Outing Club, was taken to hospital in Schwarzach where he underwent extensive emergency spinal surgery to stabilize his injuries.

He showed his positive attitude right after surgery: “I’m in good spirits and looking forward to a great year,” he wrote on Facebook.

Nick is a two-time US National Champion and has 20 World Cup starts. The ’07 Proctor Academy alumnus is not expected to return for the remainder of the 2014-2015 ski jumping season and will spend time with his family and teammates while he recovers.

“I understand Nick is out of surgery and is in good spirits,” USA Ski Jumping Board Chairman Rex Bell said shortly after the surgery. “Coach Bine Norcic and teammate Nick Alexander are with him now at the hospital. Nick is one of the most friendly and supportive athletes on the USASJ team. He’s always the first person to lend a hand or offer words of encouragement to his teammates. I know I speak for the whole US ski jumping and nordic combined community when I wish Nick a speedy and full recovery from his injuries.”

We’re With You, Nick!

In order to help cover the high costs of treatment and rehabilitation, an online fundraising campaign with the motto “We’re with you, Nick” was started by former ski jumper Alan Alborn; Signe Jordet, director of USA Ski Jumping; and Whitney Childers.

“When one of us falls down, we band together to help lift them up. It’s what we do. We’re ski jumpers, skiers, athletes, parents, coaches, volunteers, and supporters. We love this sport. We are strong and determined. We are all Nick Fairall.”

If you want to help, visit the RallyMe.com page of the “We’re With You Nick: Rehabilitation Fund” at AndoverBeacon.com/Nick-Rally. All donations made to Nick’s RallyMe campaign may be considered tax deductible through USA Ski Jumping, a US 501(c)3 nonprofit foundation. For more information, visit USASkiJumping.org.

To send words of support via Twitter to Nick, use #GetWellSoonNickFairall.