“Knee was in 9 parts”: The moving stand-up story by Tobias Raich

When Tobias Raich speaks on September 28, 2017, you can still hear a faint tremor in his voice. “It was actually a day like any other. I drove through the city on my scooter, then overtook a car, then was inattentive for a moment - and then it happened," says the 22-year-old, describing the fatal scene. During that inattentive moment, Raich lost some control of his vehicle and ended up hitting the pole of a street light with his right knee. “The kneecap was in nine pieces. It was no longer a break, it was a total loss.”

“The kneecap was a pile of rubble” A total loss that is actually irreparable. “As I later found out, when the kneecap is shattered like this, it is usually removed, which is what the doctors planned to do for me. That would have meant that I would have limped for the rest of my life - so no more ice hockey, no more sports. This news pulled the rug out from under me,” said Raich, who was lucky in misfortune. A friend and doctor got wind of his injury and took on the operation at the last minute. “Dr. Schmidt knew how important ice hockey was to me - that's why he did everything he could to save the kneecap and patch it back together. A very complicated operation, but everything went well.”

Nevertheless, it was a hard blow for the young athlete, who had already suffered numerous setbacks in his life. Years ago he struggled with panic attacks and health problems, and two years ago he suffered a knee injury, which is why he had to end his promising ice hockey career at EV Bozen early. It was bad news for the sports-loving Raich, but he soon found a new passion: as a youth coach at HC Meran, he stayed involved in ice hockey, and his knees and health also allowed him to be involved in the recreational team. “I want to become a professional ice hockey coach and actually wanted to start training for it shortly. But now I have to wait.”

Got up again In the weeks after the accident and the operation, Raich was confined to bed. But an uncertainty caused him more pain than his knee: “Will my foot be healthy again? Will I be able to walk normally again? This fear was overwhelming. My life basically only consists of sport - and now there was a big question mark behind all of that. That was terrible and gave me many sleepless nights.” But now the daily visits to the doctor and numerous physiotherapies have paid off: Raich has been on the move again without crutches for four weeks. An operation awaits in January in which the wires and strapping in the knee will be removed. “The doctors say everything has healed well. That I will soon be able to pursue my passion of playing and teaching ice hockey again.”

So Tobias Raich got up again. Just like when he ended his career prematurely. Or even before, when he was struggling with other serious health problems. His wish for the Christ child is therefore fitting: “Actually, I only want one thing: to be healthy so that I can do sports.”

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“Knee was in 9 parts”: The moving stand-up story by Tobias Raich

In a motorcycle accident in September, 22-year-old Tobias Raich suffered total knee damage. For the ice hockey-loving boy who aspires to a career as a professional coach, his world collapsed. But now he sees light at the end of the tunnel again. His stand-up story.

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