Czech Ski Association Launches Fundraiser for Injured Ski Racer Tereza Nová

The Czech Ski Association has launched a fundraiser to support Czech ski racer Tereza Nová. Nová suffered a catastrophic crash on January 24, 2025, during race training on the Kandahar slope in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. The 27-year-old sustained life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to the BG Unfallklinik in Murnau, Germany, where she spent nearly a month after being put in an induced coma and had three surgeries. She was subsequently transferred back to Czechia to the Motol University Hospital, where she endured another three surgeries, and in May the young athlete was transferred to the rehabilitation center in Kladbruby, where she is still continuing her recovery to this day.

• Related: Czech Ski Racer Tereza Nova’s Long Road to Recovery After her Life-Threatening Crash at World Cup in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

However, from September this year, her treatments will no longer be covered by the state, so Nová is facing serious financial challenges to continue the lengthy rehabilitation she will need to undergo for many years to make a full recovery. Therefore, the Czech Ski Association has started a fundraiser to support Nová in her recovery and has supported the fundraiser with 300,000 CZK ($14,200). Any donations will go directly toward covering Nová’s ongoing medical expenses and can be made via a special QR code or directly to the account:

IBAN: CZ63 0600 0000 0002 1497 3676
SWIFT: AGBACZPP
ACCOUNT HOLDER: Nadacni fond Svazu lyzaru CR
ADDRESS: Cukrovarnicka 483/42, 162 00 Prague 6 – Stresovice

At the time of her crash, doctors diagnosed Nová with a severe traumatic brain injury, major cerebral hemorrhage, injury to the carotid artery, and a fracture near the eye socket. Due to rapid brain swelling, neurosurgeons were forced to remove a section of her skull to relieve intracranial pressure. For a week, Nová remained in a medically induced coma as doctors worked to stabilize her condition. Once the swelling began to subside, she was slowly awakened. Remarkably, despite initial fears about the severity of her brain injury, Nová became responsive. Her early rehabilitation began at the intensive care unit in Murnau, including basic mobilization and was continued in a rehab clinic in Kladruby.

• Related: Czech Skier is Awoken from Induced Coma 4 Weeks After Devastating Training Crash

Due to the brain hemorrhage, the 27-year-old skier is still paralyzed on the left side of her body. In May, Nová received a cranial implant but when the implant became infected, Nová had to return to Motol University hospital. She is currently back in the Rehabilitation Institute in Kladruby, where she is continuing her recovery. “Terka is currently competing in the hardest race of her life – unfortunately not on the slopes this time. She started at the Murnau clinic with the most important thing – determination not to give up. She has already completed many important goals, but she still has a long way to go,” her mother Romana Nová’s said.

“I’m still at the beginning, but things are progressing in the right direction, so I hope that soon I’ll be running around here on my own feet like crazy,” Tereza Nová said.

In addition to the fundraiser, the Czech Ski and Snowboard Association will also donate 5% of the ticket revenues from the FIS World Cup at Špindlerův Mlýn, Czechia, on January 24 and 25, 2026, to the recovery fund. Sports fans will that way be able to support Tereza Nová’s recovery by purchasing tickets to the Giant Slalom and Slalom races.

Tereza Nová made her World Cup debut in 2019 and specializes in speed events (Downhill and Super-G. She represented the Czech Republic at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, achieving a career-best 14th place in the Combined event. Known for her technical precision and fearlessness, she is regarded as a key athlete in the next generation of Czech ski racing.

• Related: Coming Back from Traumatic Brain Injury: An Interview with Jamie and Jeanee Crane

Her injury comes amid growing discussions about safety in alpine skiing, particularly in high-speed disciplines such as Downhill and Super-G. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has introduced mandatory airbags for speed events this season, but many athletes have requested exemptions. The severity of Nová’s crash highlights the persistent dangers in the sport, adding to recent calls for further safety measures.