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OGDEN — More than 2,000 pounds of hydraulic pressure crushed Paralympian Keith's Gabel's left foot in an industrial accident in June 2005.
Four months later, he was back on his snowboard.
More than a decade after that industrial accident, the athlete is impressively a professional snowboarder, a motivational speaker and an X-Games champion. Recently, he was featured in a locally-filmed documentary on ESPN that was part of the X-Games.
Skylar Nielsen with Vita Brevis Films produced the documentary for ESPN and said it follows the path of how Gabel lost his leg and how he overcame that loss.
"It kind of like goes through his youth and you think to yourself, 'it can't get worse, it can't get worse,' and then he ... gets his leg cut off ... then you're like, 'it can get worse,'" Nielsen said.
Gabel lived in poverty as a child, and his life was dysfunctional. He was living with his mom, but started to lose it and moved in with his dad. That's when he got involved with winter sports, according to the documentary.
Gabel said in the documentary that skiing was his release and he found clarity. He was able to basically overcome his past, graduate high school and get a good job, his dad, J. Keith, said in the documentary.
It was while loading trailers that the accident occurred.
Gabel told KSL.com he lost circulation in his left foot, and it was amputated about a month after the accident. By October, he was back on his snowboard.
"It came pretty naturally … just a matter of not really giving up and just going for it. It didn't really seem to take a whole lot to get back on it, since I knew how to ride before that."
Within a season or two, Gabel surpassed his skill level from before his accident.
Keith Gabel from VITA BREVIS FILMS on Vimeo.
"A lot of friends say ... I got a lot better," Keith Gabel said, adding that he got pretty extreme with it.
He said he hopes people realize there is more to life after a debilitating injury or illness.
"There's so much that you can do out there," Keith Gabel said. "Technology is amazing, and with the right attitude, with the right mindset, the sky, it really is the limit."
The professional snowboarder now trains in Aspen, Colorado. In the future, he would like to continue snowboarding competitively and hopes to one day open a nonprofit organization.
