A broken tibia, fibula, and a torn ACL following treatment for an eating disorder, along with three and a half years away from competition, might prompt many elite athletes to contemplate medical retirement. However, Spyder Athlete Alice Merryweather refused to entertain such a thought. Instead, her determination to return to an FIS World Cup starting gate only grew stronger with each setback. On December 8th, after 1,380 days of recovery, Alice achieved that goal in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

It comes as no surprise to those who know her that Alice could overcome such a formidable challenge. Nothing appears capable of obstructing the motivated work ethic of the happily grounded, thoughtfully focused 27-year-old Olympian.

We had the opportunity to catch up with Alice at our Colorado Spyder HQ in November, amidst the US Ski Team’s training at Copper Mountain ahead of the 2023-24 FIS World Cup season. She explained how she persevered through what might have led many athletes to consider medical retirement and shared the goals she has set for herself in her return to the highest level of ski racing ahead of the World Cup season.

"I was so determined to get back and prove, even just to myself, that I could do it again. So there wasn't a doubt in my mind that I wanted to get back to racing on the World Cup and prove that I could, I could get through it." – AM