Ilka Štuhec - Recovery and Preparations For The New Victories

Although missing this season's winter Olympics, the best Slovenian alpine skier Ilka Štuhec is preparing for the 2018/19 season, when she will defend the title of the world champion in skiing in Aare.

Ilka is the only Slovenian woman with the globe from the skiing World Cup. Also, recently, she recieved and award for the best Slovenian athlete in 2017, together with the basketball player Goran Dragić.

While working hard and preparing for the upcoming season, Ilka hurt her knee on a slalom training course on the Pitztal Glacier, where she injured the frontal cruciate ligament, right before the start of the competition season. Currently, she completes physiotherapy and adapts fitness training in Pesnica near Maribor. She says: "The injuries are not unknown to me, as well as the treatment process. I can say that this rehabilitation is the most difficult for the head while going through the crisis periods. "

Darja Kramberger, Ilka's physiotherapist, with whom she participated during the first serious injuries in 2008, and kinesiologist Anja Sesum, play an important role in Ilka's recovery, when it comes to physical, but also psychological and emotional support.

Because of the injury, Ilka will not compete on the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, but she will be following and supporting the athletes from her home in Slovenia. She hopes to return to the snow by the end of January next year, but she doesn't pressure herself with the dates, but she rather goes by the feeling and intuition.

News source: Siol.si
Photo credits: Matjaž Vertuš