Broken Snowboarder Looks to Ride Again

His right arm is in a sling, along with nine screws and a metal plate to go with it. He sits back, watches television and thinks to himself, “There goes the rest of my snowboard season and more importantly my job.”
On January 14th, 2010 Ryan Spittle broke his right collarbone. The one thing he truly had passion for was put on hold, right in the middle of  the 2010 winter season.
“ I was attempting a new trick on  a rail, I hopped up on it and immediately caught my edge and went down, falling backwards.”
The collarbone snapped, and the force of the blow pushed the end of the bone up, against his chest. Surgery would be needed. One week later, once the swelling subsided, the doctors went in and repaired the battered bone.
Ryan was told that the bone would need six to eight weeks to fully heal. All extra-curricular activities were forbidden. At that point reality began to set in for Ryan.
“The injury definitely affected him, it made him realize that he has to be more careful,” said Judy Spittle, his mother.
The down time over the next few weeks would be extremely long, and agonizing for the soft spoken seventeen year old.
“Ever since my Uncle David got me into skiing and snowboarding I’ve been hooked. The mountain has always been the place for me to go crazy, and rip down the slopes. There is nothing that I want more than to get back on the mountain for the last few weeks of the season.”
Five weeks into recovery Ryan returned to the doctors to have him arm examined. He expected to be informed that his injury had healed faster than expected and that he could resume all extra curricular activity. Instead he was instructed to hold tight for two more weeks.
“Every weekend all of my closest friends head to the mountain. I’m stuck at home with nothing to do. I‘ve never been out of action for this long, I always thought I was invincible on the mountain. This injury was a wake up call.”
Frustrated, annoyed, and bored Ryan has continued to push on through the injury. Killing time by browsing the internet for the latest snowboard videos. As he sits at the computer, his eyes glued to the screen, he watches and continues to wait for the day that he can return to the mountain.