41 | Former Pro Freeskier Jamie MoCrazy: Ascending a New Peak

“My story is a miraculous recovery because I beat every expectation for what was going to happen. We believe we can share some of these guides to help others have a miraculous recovery from what they're going through. Because, as I say, a lot of my luck was created. You can create your own luck if you take the steps to build it, and climb an alternative peak.”

 

Jamie Crane-Mauzy—better known as Jamie MoCrazy, a name she’ll explain early in this week’s show—has lived most of her life on the slopes. She started skiing at age 1, and by 18, had gone pro as a slopestyle and halfpipe skier. 

 

Everything changed in 2015, when she crashed at the World Tour Finals and sustained a traumatic brain injury. Her condition was so severe the medical team had even written her fatality report.

 

She survived—and after a 10-day coma, embarked on an extensive, years-long recovery process. Of course, re-learning to walk, talk, and interact socially were difficult. But one of the biggest emotional struggles, Jamie says, came when she realized she would no longer be competing as a pro athlete. 

 

Coming to terms with that major life shift involved the support of a loving family, professional mental-health treatment, and finding a greater purpose—educating and motivating others, including survivors of traumatic brain injury and their caregivers, through the MoCrazy Strong organization. It’s a different kind of mountain to climb, Jamie says, but one that’s ultimately incredibly rewarding and fulfilling.

 

**Please note that this episode contains descriptions of trauma that some people may find unsettling. If you want to avoid this content, skip from 6:30 to 19:30.

 

A huge thank you to our sponsors for this episode: Fluid Running and 2Toms. Fluid Running makes it possible to maintain your peak physical fitness even when you're injured through the power of deep water running. And 2Toms provides advanced sweat proof, waterproof blister and chafing protection products that keep you moving. Listen for special discount codes in the episode!

 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Where the name Jamie MoCrazy comes from (5:17)
• Who she is—including the details of the accident that changed her life (6:39)
• How injury is viewed in skiing, especially freeskiing (9:45)
• What it was like to hear about the accident from her family’s perspective (14:22)
• More of the details of her extended rehab—including the incredible support and involvement of her family (19:29)
• The critical role caregivers can play, and why the whole MoCrazy family is passionate about reaching out to them (26:29)
• When she realized she wouldn’t be competing again, and how she came to terms with that, including the importance of mental-health support (30:36)
• More about the emotional component of her recovery, including the role of MoCrazy Strong (36:53)
• How she’s continuing to learn about the brain, and putting that knowledge into practice (47:04)
• The ways in which telling her own story has affected her (49:48)

 

You can subscribe to The Injured Athletes Club on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, and if you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or a review in Apple podcasts. That helps other injured athletes find the show.

 

Resources/links:

• The MoCrazy Strong website and Instagram
• Their video series for caregivers with the Brain Injury Alliance of Utah
• Her podcast, Life Gets MoCrazy (including the episode with Roy Tuscany of The High Fives Foundation)
• Our episodes with Roy Tuscany and his partner, Alana Nichols

 

To access more resources for injured athletes:

• Join The Injured Athletes Club mailing list, for news and updates
• Join The Injured Athletes Club Facebook group, for support and camaraderie
• Like The Injured Athletes Club Podcast Facebook page, for the latest episodes
• Email us at [email protected] with questions, guest suggestions, or other feedback

 

DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational & informational use only and & does not constitute medical advice. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have heard in an episode of this podcast. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified medical professional for proper evaluation & treatment. Guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experiences, and conclusions, and The Injured Athletes Club podcast hosts nor any company providing financial support endorses or opposes any particular treatment option discussed in the episodes of this podcast and are not responsible for any actions or inactions of listeners based on the information presented. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk.