Almost seven years ago, Samer Tawk wondered whether he would walk again.

"I was young and crazy and was skiing somewhere I shouldn't have been in Lebanon, and I fell 14 meters (46 feet)," Tawk told DW.

Now the cross-country skier is preparing to represent Lebanon at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

It is a long-awaited return to the world stage for the 27-year-old. In 2019, Tawk was looking forward to the Beijing Games in 2022 and his second Winter Olympics but then suffered serious injuries doing the sport he loved.

"I was broken. I broke my hips in four places. My left leg was 40% paralysed. I tore my urethra, had internal bleeding, broke my elbow and my hand."

The skier was rushed to the hospital, where he spent over a week in intensive care.

"At first, my thoughts were on whether I would survive and then if I would be disabled."

Recovery begins for Tawk

Slowly, but surely, he started to recover, and the thought of getting back on the skis was always there. In the beginning, though, he was literally focused on taking the next step.

"I didn't complicate things. I didn't overthink it. I just wanted to try my best, and that's what I told the doctors," Tawk said. "I started with small steps, and when I saw even tiny progress, I was so happy and motivated."

So much so that he was soon thinking about competing again, either in the Paralympics or the Olympics.

"Most of the doctors thought it would be nearly impossible for me to recover 100%," Tawk said.

But Tawk wanted to see how far he could get.

"In the first year, I was trying to ski on cross-country skis, but I couldn't move more than 10 meters, my left leg couldn't handle it, and I kept falling down."

This went on for about two years.

"I was skiing a bit, but my technique was much worse. It took a long time. After three and a half years, I was like 'okay, I can train again and be serious about my goal.'"

The switch from alpine to cross-country

Tawk had originally tried alpine skiing at age 6 on the slopes of Lebanon, near his home of Bsharri in the mountains, around 60 kilometers (37.3 miles) north of Beirut.

"It was so good but expensive, and my family wasn't rich. I had to pay coaches [and] buy a season pass, so I switched to cross-country skiing. It was less expensive, and I loved it."

Lebanon may have a lot of snow, but organized winter sports are rare. Tawk is one of only two athletes in Lebanon's delegation for the Milan Cortina Olympics, with Andrea El Hayek, an alpine skier competing in the men's slalom, the only other. 

"It wasn't easy, but I lived close to the slopes and could be there in just 10 minutes, and I started to train more and more," Tawk said.

In 2015, the Lebanese federation brought in a coach from Serbia to help. He told Tawk that if he trained hard enough, he could make the Olympics in three years' time, and in 2018 that's exactly what happened.

Tawk competed in Pyeongchang, becoming the first competitor from his homeland to compete in Olympic cross-country skiing.

"It was so cold, it was crazy but a great experience," said Tawk, who finished 105th in the 15-kilometer freestyle event.

The prospect of going to Beijing four years later was exciting, and even after the accident, there was some hope.

"When I fell, I thought maybe in six months, I will be normal again, but in 2020, I was still broken. In 2021, I was not so good," Tawk said.

Desperate to go to China but recognizing he wasn't fit enough to compete, Tawk went to Beijing as a coach.

A long way back

Four years later, he returns to the course as an athlete. At Milan Cortina, Tawk does not see himself competing with skiers from the strong European nations such as Norway, Sweden, Finland and Switzerland. He says that Lebanon could perhaps start reaching the podium in about 20 years.

"Thinking about a medal is more than dreaming, even if I was never injured, it would be impossible as there are some countries that have a big history in cross-country skiing and can spend millions just on coaching," Tawk said.

In the meantime, there is a different way to win for Tawk. Meeting his own expectations and competing with countries on a similar level to Lebanon, such as Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Morocco.

There is also the possibility that he can help inspire his home nation to move to the next level.

"The Lebanese people know a little about winter sports but not much," said Tawk, who would like the government to do more.

"For the Winter Olympics, I am frustrated that we don't have any official recognition. Nobody has said 'good luck' officially. We didn't even have a meeting and I don't even know if I will be given kit to wear. Lebanon is a beautiful country but it's not great if you want to be organized as an athlete," Tawk said.

After all he has been through, Samer Tawk, is however, just delighted to be there.

Edited by: Jonathan Harding