Skiers around the country are rooting for a 15 year old Park City boy who was seriously injured March 17th in the Three Kings terrain park at Park City Mountain Resort. He remains in an induced coma at the University of Utah’s Neurosciences Critical Care Unit.
According to a blog with posts updated by his mom Maggie and dad Andrew, their accomplished skier overshot a jump in the terrain park, lost his balance and landed on the left side of his face. He was knocked unconscious. While he was wearing a helmet, the helmet wasn’t in a position to take the blow. He was airlifted to the U’s critical care unit with a severe traumatic brain injury and remains in a medically induced coma.
Leyton Sheppard has been a member of the Park City Ski Team for several years. Just this season, he had switched things up and was training with the Buck Hill Ski Racing Team out of Minnesota. This is the same club that Lindsay Vonn had trained with as a youngster.
Leyton’s twin, and his two younger siblings continue to race with the Park City team. Park City Ski and Snowboard executive director John Kanarowski told KPCW, the Sheppard family is one of the exemplary families of the organization and the club’s teammates and families have Leyton and his family in their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
Kanarowski added that Leyton is passionate about ski racing and until he left the team, was an integral part Park City Ski and Snowboard.
A Go Fund Me account has been established in Leyton Sheppard's name to help the family with the extensive and growing medical costs. More than $60,000 has been raised of the $100,000 goal.
