William Huffman, Grapevine High School Class of 2012 alumnus who swam and ran cross country while in high school, finished 46th in the New York City Marathon held November 5, 2023. What makes his story remarkable is that only three years prior in December 2020, this retired triathlete and Team USA athlete suffered a tragic ski accident. Read his inspirational story and the advice he shares with students based on his experiences.
What GCISD schools did you attend?
I moved to Texas in the eighth grade, attended Cross Timbers Middle School, and graduated from Grapevine High School in 2012.
What did you do after graduation?
After attending Texas A&M University for one year, I transferred to Colorado State University Global for my undergraduate and graduate degrees so I could train and race full-time anywhere in the world.
I finished my Master of Finance degree in the spring of 2020, shortly after the pandemic hit. I had originally planned on racing through the end of 2020 before transitioning into the finance industry. However, COVID accelerated the timeline, and I started applying for jobs as soon as I realized that the bulk of the racing season and the Olympics were going to be postponed.
What are you doing now?
After a few months of figuring out my career transition at the beginning of COVID, I joined a new hedge fund based in New York City. I’ve been in the city for almost three years, now working with the same fund. It’s a great group of people – I couldn’t have asked for a better start in the industry.
Tell us about the ski accident, including where/when it happened?
After taking a 10-year hiatus from skiing during my triathlon career, I was excited to get back on the mountain in December 2020. On my third day back to skiing, I caught an edge trying to avoid another skier who was cutting across the slope just before the run narrowed for a bridge. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough space to correct my course, and I slammed into a metal signpost. My right femur suffered a compound fracture, and the bone severed my femoral artery and vein. Somehow, I remained conscious for the next four-and-a-half hours as I was rushed to the hospital and prepared for emergency surgery. The doctors debated amputation to decrease the risk of potentially fatal complications, but they ultimately decided to take a risk and salvage the leg. After the initial nine-hour trauma surgery, I had four more operations before starting the rehabilitation process.
What propelled you to move forward with our recovery?
All the credit for my recovery goes to the family, friends, and medical professionals around me. I wouldn’t have made it back to running if it weren’t for their support every step of the way. In terms of motivation to keep pushing forward, I sometimes think back to the moment when I realized the extent of my injury after waking from a two-day sedation following the initial trauma surgery. Although the operation went considerably well, the doctors prepared me for the possibility of a very different life going forward. I remember coming to terms with that and starting to think of ways I could find similar fulfillment to athletic competition in something that wouldn’t require physical activity. Eventually, I was able to celebrate small victories, such as scooting down the hallway with a walker, and when I finally put full body weight on the injured leg and successfully balanced on one foot, I knew there was hope. For the rest of my recovery, thinking back to the moment when I had fully written off the chance of walking on two feet helped me reframe the path forward. I was motivated to discover what I could do rather than recover what I had lost.
After your accident, when did you return to athletics/competition?
My first venture back into something athletic was an easy lap of the same run that I crashed on about 14 weeks prior. More than anything, I wanted to make it to the ski patrol shack at the top of the mountain and thank the first responders. I also found it rewarding to slowly make it down the same ski slope where I had crashed. Muscle and nerve damage made the return to running a slightly longer process. By the time I moved to NYC in the spring of 2021, almost five months after the accident, I still thought running was a distant dream, so I left behind my running shoes during the move and only took a pair of Allbirds shoes with me. During my first week in the city, I was encouraged by the amount of walking that my leg could endure, and I decided to lace up the Allbirds and go for a one-mile shuffle/jog. I continued to test my leg every day, and six weeks later I jumped into a 5k on the track, running it in 17 minutes 32 seconds.
Tell us about the NYC Marathon.
The NYC Marathon was an incredible experience. I started out conservatively around a 5:55/mile pace and worked my way down to about 5:25/mile pace by the end. I felt much better than expected throughout the race, and the best part was seeing family and friends the whole way. I honestly never expected to finish anywhere near the top 50. I was just thrilled to be a part of such a fun event and share it with everyone who came out to run and cheer.
What would you tell GCISD students about what you’ve learned through your experience?
Keep putting one foot in front of the other, build a supportive community around you, be curious, ask for advice, and never shy away from an opportunity to find your strengths and weaknesses.
Is there anything else that you would like to add?
I want to give a shout out to Coach Rick Miller and Coach Daniel Jau for being awesome! They were both such great influences on my athletic ambitions at a young age, and I’m very grateful for the doors they opened. You guys rock!