Where to Ski And Snowboard - Schumacher showing signs of recovery

Schumacher showing signs of recovery

2nd January 2015, by Abi Butcher

Michael Schumacher's manager says he is in for a "long fight" following his ski accident

A year after his devastating accident, Formula One champion Michael Schumacher is starting to recognise his family and one day hopes to walk with crutches.

Another former F1 driver Philippe Streiff told French newspaper Le Parisian that Schumacher, 45, “has yet to recover the power of speech” but said he is “nevertheless starting to recognise those close to him”.

The F1 champion suffered severe head injuries while skiing beside the piste in Meribel on 29 December 2013. Schumacher was brought out of an induced coma in June and has been at his home near Lake Geneva since September.

Streiff, who is himself in a wheelchair following an accident, said Schumacher had “very limited” movement but was working on sitting upright. He added that “long term… [Schumacher] could hope one day to walk with crutches”.

Little has been officially disclosed about Schumacher’s condition since the former racing driver left hospital, and his manager Sabine Kehm has disputed Streiff’s comments, simply saying he faces a “long fight” for recovery.

Kehm added: “We need a long time. It’s going to be a long time and a hard fight”.

Michael Schumacher was skiing with his 14-year-old son at the time, and reports suggest that a helmet-mounted camera was responsible for the severity of his head injuries.