Survival of the Fittest

Just three years before his 2010 podium finish at the Crankworx mountain bike festival in Whistler, Canada, Jamie was stuck in a harness on the side of a ravine in remote Patagonia, trying to free himself from an unimaginable accident.

Jamie describes healthy skin as having the flexibility of lycra and says he is now dealing with something more like rough canvas. Photo by Camilla Rutherford Photography

He's always loved mountain biking but Jamie had never raced professionally before his accident. Photo by Camilla Rutherford Photography.

Jamie (in blue) and crewmate Ash Millar working at what would become the site of the explosion. Supplied/Jamie Nicoll

Jamie with the team of nurses who cared for him through an induced coma and a number of operations in Santiago. Supplied/Jamie Nicoll

Jamie sustained third-degree burns to 35 per cent of his body. He was put into an induced coma to aid his healing. Supplied/Jamie Nicoll

Jamie (in blue) was part of a crew of New Zealanders building mountain bike trails in Chile. Supplied/Jamie Nicoll

Lago La Paloma Chile where Jamie and crew were based. Supplied/Jamie Nicoll

Jamie in Patagonia before the accident. Supplied/Jamie Nicoll

The images in this gallery are used with permission and are subject to copyright conditions.

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