On the ride over, Yater-Wallace said that he was mainly worried about how much the bill for the medevac was going to be and how he was going to pay it. There were larger concerns looming.

The doctors in Salt Lake City discovered an infection causing severe damage to his liver and gallbladder, prompting them to place him in a state of medically induced paralysis for several days to help him heal. He spent about a month in the hospital. While in recovery, he lost 25 pounds and much of his muscle mass.

“You feel completely worthless,” he said of that time.

His comeback had to wait until he could support the weight of his own body. Before long, though, all he wanted to do was ski. He competed in the 2016 X Games only six weeks after he emerged from the hospital.

His rush to return to competition after such a serious medical issue sounded rash to some, but for those who know him, it was hardly a surprise.

“Skiing to Torin is a release, he skis with that aggression,” said Michael Spencer, his close friend and agent. “His skiing is where he puts it all out there and expresses himself.”

Yater-Wallace faces some stiff competition in Wednesday’s event. He finished sixth at the X Games last year. His teammate David Wise is the defending gold medalist.

But Yater-Wallace said all the bad luck could work in his favor because it “serves as motivation to get back here and hopefully put down a run I am proud of after unfortunately dealing with a hard time in Sochi,” he said.

He added, “I’m happy to be back and trying to ski at my fullest potential and see where that puts me.”