March 03, 2026
"Will I still be able to go skiing?"
It's a question six-time Paralympic skier Michael Milton first asked after he got bone cancer when he was nine years old and had to have his left leg amputated, and asked it again last month, after an accident at Winter Park Ski Resort, while training for his seventh Paralympic Games. The Australian athlete hit a slick spot on the snow and fell onto his left side, fracturing his left femur on the "stump," as Milton called it. The accident happened after he qualified for the Winter Paralympic Games. He spent the night in pain before seeking care.
"I actually waited 24 hours until I walked into the Denver Health Winter Park Medical Center," Milton said.
"Here at the Denver Health Winter Park Medical Center, if you sustain an injury, say a leg fracture up on the hill, and you were brought down to our medical center, you would receive x-rays, pain medication and management, as well as a full assessment of any other injury you might have," said Darcy Selenke, MD, Medical Director of the Denver Health Winter Park Medical Center. "If that leg injury then required a higher level of care, we would consult with the Orthopedic Center of Excellence down at Denver Health's Main Campus."
"We definitely have a lot of very acute orthopedic injuries that need to be treated next day or same day," said Andy Wood, MD, who treated Milton in the emergency department at the Winter Park Medical Center.
Dr. Wood's recommendation was for surgery. Milton wanted to fly back to Australia for surgery but couldn't. So he ended up at the Denver Health Orthopedic Center of Excellence in Denver the next day for a consultation. The day after that, he had surgery to repair the break.
"My medical team here at Denver Health has been great," Milton said. "They are professional, answered all my questions, and were able to show a little flexibility around my hopes to compete in Italy."
Denver's Orthopedic Trauma Surgery Experts You Can Trust
"Michael Milton is an incredible individual," said Justin Hellwinkel, MD, Orthopedic Trauma Surgeon, who operated on Milton. "Our goal with skiing injuries is to get the patients back on the slopes as quickly as possible."
"It is the best care that you can receive in terms of trauma services within the state of Colorado," Dr. Selenke said. "From the time you're having an injury on the ski hill into Denver Health Winter Park Medical Center and then down to Denver Health, you're going to just receive excellent care."
A couple weeks after his surgery, Milton returned to see Dr. Hellwinkel and remarked that he had no pain at all. After his appointment, that night, he got on a plane to Italy, and the following week, was selected to compete for Australia in his seventh Paralympic Games, pending a final medical clearance. He has already been medically cleared to ski again.
"Michael has faced some incredible challenges throughout his entire life, and he is an incredibly passionate and motivated person," Dr. Hellwinkel said. "When he sets his mind to something, not only does he achieve it but he surpasses any of the expectations that were set before then."
Follow Milton’s journey on Instagram @miltohq.
