A race fall in April left Tania with her neck broken in five places.

Three months on, she’s still in pain and is forced to wear a supportive neck collar, since the bone refuses to heal. Despite her serious and restrictive injuries, Tania still hopes to be a part of the Australian team travelling to Belgium next year.

Tania Teelow is the reigning Formula 2 World Water Skiing Champion - and even a broken neck won’t keep her from next year’s world championships.

A race fall in April left Tania with her neck broken in five places.

Three months on, she’s still in pain and is forced to wear a supportive neck collar, since the bone refuses to heal.

“I’ve got extreme whiplash, which has broken front and back, four vertebrae, as well as broken connective ligament in three places,” Tania said.

“The doctors are working on different strategies to get the bone to grow back, so I’ve been sitting around … I’m an impatient patient.”

Despite her serious and restrictive injuries, Tania still hopes to be a part of the Australian team travelling to Belgium next year.

If her injuries don’t allow her to ski in the selection races, she hopes that she may be able to get a ‘wild card’ entry, which would give her right up until July 2009 to be rehabilitated and to have the chance to defend her world title.

“I’m still wearing the collar because my neck is unstable and there’s a risk, but living a normal life is my priority,” Tania said.

“Once I get my neck stable, I’ll get back into getting strong. I’ve got energy to burn.”

Hopefully, this will be a case of history repeating itself.

Tania broke her back in a racing accident when she was 17.

Her doctors told her that it was unlikely she would be able to ski race or play contact sports ever again - and the following year she won her first world title.

So for now, Tania is ‘playing it by ear’, waiting for doctor’s advice on the best way to get rehabilitated.

“I’m really proud of my daughter Sarah for going for worlds - and I hope I’m there as well.”