KILLINGTON (UNITED STATES) – More than nine months after her serious accident on the super-G in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Valérie Grenier finally sees the end of the tunnel. She will make her return to the slopes during the World Cup stage this Saturday in Killington, Vermont. An opportunity to put your skis back on and, above all, to take stock of your level before the most important deadline at the start of the season, Mont Tremblant on December 7 and 8.
On the eve of the event in the United States, the Ottawa native confirmed, on her Instagram account, her participation in the giant slalom which will officially mark her return to competition after months of rehabilitation and physical fitness following to his terrible fall on January 30 in Italy, which left him with a fracture of the humerus, a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament and partial tear of the posterior cruciate ligament of the knee, as well as a shoulder operation.
Questioned by ONFR, the skier says she feels good and is mentally ready to resume competition.
“Now I don’t even think about the injury, it’s not even on my mind. I feel like I’m normal, like other girls. I think it’s really cool. It’s going really well. I can’t wait to quickly see how it will go. »
The return to competition was gradual for Valérie Grenier who went through more than six months of rehabilitation with ups and downs. She describes in particular difficult periods between pain in the humerus and stiffness in the knee.
“Eventually I started being able to move my knee better and better, and then everything started getting better at that point. I started to gain strength again in the gym. »
Unexpected shin pain
The second step was then to meet up with his teammates from the Canadian ski team during the traditional preparation for the end of summer in the southern hemisphere.
An internship in Chile which had its share of difficulties in store for him with pain in his shin which surfaced.
“In Chile, it was still difficult to manage, because my knee was doing really well, it wasn’t really a problem anymore. But these shin pains, it was frustrating to have a problem that wasn’t even the injury itself,” she confides.
“It’s certain that it was related to the injury, though. I still lacked a little preparation in terms of impacts, it was as if my shin was not yet used to that. »
Time and muscle strengthening work finally allowed the skier to regain full strength at the end of her stay in Europe, where she accompanied her teammates for the competition in Sölden, Austria, on October 26 and 27. last.
“Two weeks after Sölden, things really improved. I had little pain on the ski side and good sensations. I found that I was starting to ski better, compared to the beginning where it was more of a return to snow type of thing. I think I have made good progress. The pain has subsided and we are now in the United States. »
Objective Mont-Tremblant
The competition in Killington will allow the Ottawa native to gauge her level of performance before returning to her audience, at the beginning of December, in Mont-Tremblant, her “favorite competition”. Throughout his recovery, the athlete received immense support on social networks, even to the point of having difficulty managing this overflow of love.
“At the beginning, straight after my injury, it was even a little too much. I didn’t really know how to handle all of this. It was a lot. I wanted to try to respond to everyone and be really nice, but I had to put everything aside, take a break. But then, quietly, I started responding to messages. I really felt a lot of love and support. It definitely helped push me to work hard to get back to where I am now, and then even further. It was greatly appreciated. »
With the injuries now behind her, Valérie Grenier is looking ahead to this season. It’s difficult to set specific goals in terms of competitions she would like to win, but regaining her place at the top of the world rankings could be the sign of a successful year.
“Obviously it’s a different year for me. Like I said, I don’t know what to expect, but I have a lot of belief in myself. I don’t want to say, I want this or that podium, I don’t know. But stay in my rankingthat would be super positive. I think it would really be a fulfilling year for me if I did that. »
In the longer term, the Winter Olympics in February 2026 for Italy are already in the back of his mind.
“I find that the timing is still good, in the sense that I have a year to get back into it. Then, we will have the Olympic season, so obviously, a very important season. I would really like to be at my optimal level right before the Games. That would be perfect. »
