January, 2009--
With
his film appearances, accomplishments as an athlete, and perhaps
most notable of all, as the star of a 30 second nationally run
television commercial (a first for a tele skier as far as we
know) pitching Nature Valley granola bars, Max Mancini had already
left his permanent mark on the sport of telemark skiing when,
last fall, he was involved in a horrible and tragic automobile
accident in which his pregnant girlfriend, Molly Jackson, was
killed. In the aftermath Max underwent extensive brain surgery
and doctors had to repair his shattered skull. After many months
of intense physical therapy, Max says of his recovery "the
physical side is difficult, but it's nothing compared to the
emotional part..."
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No doubt, that's
gotta be true, and the saddest part of all, but Max has carved
out a new life for himself, devoting much of his off-snow energy
to two charitable causes he details in our chat.
He's got a pro model ski that Rossignol is donating nearly $100
per pair sold to Denver's Children's Hospital, and Max is also
involved in developing "Life Turns," a ski camp for
children challenged with serious health issues. Says Max, “Skiing
for me has been such a tremendous therapy for every thing I have
been through, It has given me so much and it is my hope that
I can share that with others. After my accident I really felt
that I need to add a more philanthropic aspect to my life..." |
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He's been though
a lot, and he's a great guy, so It was awesome to see Max at
OR, fit, looking good, smiling and full of energy, it was the
highlight of the entire week-long trip in fact. Here's the video
from our visit...
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