Battler on the board

Dunedin snowboarder Joe McQuillan is aiming high and wants to train in the United States after...
Dunedin snowboarder Joe McQuillan is aiming high and wants to train in the United States after recovering from the degenerative pelvis-wasting Perthes disease.
Dunedin youngster Joe McQuillan admits there were times in hospital when he was concerned he might never again be able to walk properly, let alone snowboard.

Five years ago, Joe was diagnosed with Perthes disease, a degenerative condition of the hip joint, which left him confined to a wheelchair buggy.

In 2006, he spent two weeks in traction at Dunedin Hospital as he waited to see if pelvic osteotomy surgery to correct the deformity in his femur was possible.

Surgeons were unable to operate because Joe's thigh bone was considered too deformed and, for the next two years, he could not play any contact sports.

"The head of your femur dies and so it goes all mushy-like," Joe said.

He was left with one leg longer than the other and still does not have full movement in his hip joint.

However, during the past three years, the Balmacewen Intermediate pupil has recovered and, as he regained his mobility, he discovered a passion for snowsports.

Joe gets some air at Cardrona Alpine Resort as he trains in preparation for next week's junior...
Joe gets some air at Cardrona Alpine Resort as he trains in preparation for next week's junior nationals. Photo by Matthew Haggart.
"I won some ski passes, but I couldn't ski because of [the Perthes]. I got to use a sit-ski and that was the first time I ever went on the snow," he said.

A couple of years ago, he and his family returned to the skifield and this time he was able to try snowboarding.

Now the dreadlocked 11-year-old is in training for next week's junior nationals at Cardrona Alpine Resort, where he will compete across all disciplines from slopestyle, halfpipe, boardercross and big-mountain freeriding.

His mother, Heidi McQuillan, said the family had always encouraged Joe to be as active as possible, even when he was prevented from taking part in contact sports.

Perthes-affected people usually recover naturally from the condition, although they can experience ongoing issues.

"Perthes is one of those unsolved mysteries of medicine. He eventually grew out of it and now we just carry on with life like it is not a problem," Ms McQuillan said.

Joe has his sights set on joining an elite snowboarding training group in the United States this summer.

The pint-sized snowboarder is a member of the Cardrona High Performance Centre and was carving up the mountain slopes yesterday, ripping down black diamond runs and jumping rocks.

Joe is fundraising for his trip and has set up a website www.joedread.co.nz and designed a series of T-shirts, with the help of his mother.

 

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