WHEN Jodie Thring was left a quadriplegic after a bad fall from her snowboard, doctors told her it was unlikely she would walk again.

She didn't just walk - a year later she was back on her snowboard.

Her amazing recovery continues and she is now raising money to go to Utah, where she has been invited to train for the US and Canadian disabled skiing titles and the first Adaptive Action Sports World Cup in Italy.

Ms Thring, 34, was snowboarding with a friend in Thredbo when she fell on July 4, 2003. Ten days later she woke up from an induced coma to find herself a quadriplegic.

Fast-forward and Ms Thring is not only walking but is on the road to becoming the only elite quadriplegic snowboarder in the world.

"I find it easier to snowboard than walk. I walk 100 metres and I'm exhausted, but I can snowboard for hours," said Ms Thring, who grew up in Padstow.

Ms Thring is ranked as an "incomplete quadriplegic", having split and compressed parts of her spinal cord rather than severing it.

She doesn't have full sensation in her limbs and suffers from internal complications, body spasms and poor hand function.

Ms Thring needs $15,000 to get to Utah, where she hopes to gain official classification as a quadriplegic snowboarder.

"I want to do it so I'm not only representing my country and myself, but I'm raising awareness and showing other people with physical disabilities that they can do this too."

Donations can be made at www.possibilityproductions.com.au .