A professional ice skater who almost lost her life in horror fall is back on the ice and hopes to compete in the Olympics. <br /><br />Solene Mazingue, 20, was practising for a competition with her partner, Marko Jevgeni Gaidajenko, 21, when she was knocked unconscious.<br /><br />Marko was holding Solene up above his head when his blade got stuck in a groove in the ice and he dropped her - and she landed on her head. <br /><br />Solene suffered a skull fracture and a right epidural hematoma with the doctors warning she "may not make it". <br /><br />The Internal bleeding and pressure on her brain meant that she might die.<br /><br />Solene was blue-lighted to Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, Canada, where she underwent an operation, spent five days in ICU before being discharged and is still in recovery.<br /><br />Now Solene has stepped back onto the ice - for the first time in three months - and she is preparing to skate again.<br /><br />Solene, an athlete and law student, from Versailles, France, said: "It almost took my life.<br /><br />"I had a broken skull and I had a bleed on the brain.<br /><br />"It was a tough time but I always stay positive, my family and partner, Marko, 21, have been such a huge support.<br /><br />"I am still recovering, it took me three months to get back onto the ice.<br /><br />"I was scared and excited. I was ready to get onto the ice and walk with Marko and my coaches."<br /><br />In September 2022, Solene was ice skating with her partner Marko when she fell on her head after Marko - who was holding her up - got his blade stuck in a hole in the ice.<br /><br />Solene was rushed to the hospital where she had an operation to save her life - the doctors repaired her skull fracture and a right epidural hematoma - a life-threatening condition - which took three and a half hours.<br /><br />Marko, an athlete and student, from Tallinn, Estonia, said: "I was terrified when it happened. <br /><br />"We didn't realise how serious it was.<br /><br />"Her head started to swell and she was screaming from the pain she was in.<br /><br />"We immediately called an ambulance, I was waiting in the hospital for around 20 hours before I got told any information.<br /><br />"The surgeon then came over to me and told me he didn't think Solene would make it.<br /><br />"I was in shock, three hours ago I was talking to her and now she might die."<br /><br />The surgery took three-and-a-half hours and the neurosurgeon repaired a skull fracture and a right epidural hematoma.<br /><br />Solene remained in intensive care for the next five days, with no word on the outcome of the surgery or whether she would be able to skate again.<br /><br />She had three months of physio before she got back onto the ice and is still in recovery.<br /><br />She said: "I was having physio and having to balance work it was difficult.<br /><br />"We would work on how to bring my muscle back as I lost it all laying in a hospital bed.<br /><br />"In terms of brain recovery, I am still trying to recover. It might take me two years to fully recover.<br /><br />"Every day I write down what I have done that day and I have started painting as I find that helps a lot.<br /><br />"Because of the accident, I find that it is harder to think about things and process stuff."
