Falling on Ice and on Video

Tis the season for ice yet again! Record-setting cold here in the upper midwest, but right before that it warmed up enough for some of the snow to melt, and some rain to fall, so sidewalks and other non-salted areas became sheets of ice.

And with that, once again I’ve become a published expert on falling on ice. What began as answering a question on Quora turned into a late-night phone conversation with a reporter while shopping for clothes to replace lost luggage during a recruiting trip to Texas, which became a piece in the New York Times .  A year or so later, that led to an interview in the studios of Wyoming Public Radio with Robin Young (in Boston, over the phone) about falling. Two pieces came out of that, the radio spot that aired and a more print-friendly piece. And then this last week I had another interview on falling, this time from online fitness website Aaptiv.

Every time there’s been people asking for video, and thanks to a little happy accident, I can now provide that. It’s worth noting that none of the thought process I narrate was really happening as I fell, I’m just describing what I’ve trained to do. Muscle memory kicks in, even in a relatively slow fall like this one, so reading a few tips online is unlikely to prevent any broken wrists or concussions… but taking a class, training, and practicing can, and if you get it in your body, it’ll be there when you need it. It’s like falling off a bicycle…

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