BOISE, Idaho — When 20-year-old Alex Church landed on his head practicing for a ski jump competition at the Idaho Potato Drop on New Year's Eve, he immediately knew something was wrong.
"I had a little bit too much speed," he said. "I just over-rotated a little bit, so I almost did a double backflip. I flipped around once and then came down."
Alex, who is from Horseshoe Bend, shattered one bone in his neck and injured another. His mom, Amy, said it is unlikely he will ever walk again.
"I was conscious the entire time, which is kind of crazy," Alex said. "But there was surprisingly no pain; [I] just instantly couldn't feel my legs."
With plenty of family and friends supporting him, Alex spent a little more than two weeks in the Saint Alphonsus ICU before moving to another unit.
On Friday, Alex and Amy headed for Utah, where he will spend the next several months learning how to do everyday tasks without the use of his legs at the Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital.
His sister, Tori, said she and Alex's other siblings plan on visiting as often as possible.
"You know, it's a big change and not really least something that you expect," Tori said, "but you keep living, and then you find your joy from different things."
Alex credits his family and faith in God for helping him get through the last couple of weeks. He was home from college in California, where he studies electrical engineering when the accident happened.
"I can't imagine going through something like this without God," he said. "I guess just putting my strength in him every day is really what [has] gotten me through and made it so much easier."
Amy agrees.
"We knew the Lord was in control of all of it," she said. "And that it was, you know, his plan from the beginning of Alex's life that that was going to happen. So, we had peace in that."
As for what the future holds, Alex said he hopes to continue his studies and get an internship this summer. Further, he has no plans on letting his injuries also crush his adventurous spirit.
"I don't think that's ever going to change," he said. "I'll find ways to keep going, keep doing fun stuff."
KTVB reached out to the Idaho Potato Drop several times about the accident but has not heard back. Alex said the organizers have been in touch with him.
The family does not plan on taking any legal action.
In a statement to KTVB, a City of Boise spokesperson said they believe the Idaho Potato Drop partners with a private company, who "set up the structure, recruit competitors and have their own waivers for participating. Because the Potato Drop included that event, the city did require specific medical services to be on-site – including a back board to stabilize a person in the event of a serious injury."
The spokesperson said the city plans on holding an after-action report with event organizers, where they will discuss the incident.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family with medical expenses. So far, it has raised nearly $27,000.
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