Meribel

What injuries are the Meribel snowboarders looking to avoid?

Watch: What injuries are the Meribel snowboarders looking to avoid?

The Inter Services snow sports at Meribel look exciting and memorable for competitors but they always come with a degree of risk.

One of the disciplines with the most amount of danger is snowboarding, as one movement could end with a crash.

But what exactly should military snowboarders be looking to avoid in Meribel?

Lieutenant Kirsty Lesley is a snowboarder with the Royal Navy team but also works as a nurse when not on the ice.

She revealed some of the things to watch out for, saying: "We have a lot of head injuries.

"People come down the mountain and they don't quite see the moguls (mounds or bumps). They catch an edge or they're trying to stop before they see a mogul.

"We did a training week last week and we've had quite a few black eyes come from it. It's just people catching their edges and going down."

Lt Lesley also told Forces News that upper-body injuries are very common in the sport, which is a surprise to some.

"You kind of come down with quite a lot of force on your shoulders," said the Navy snowboarder.

"You get a dragging injury as well so, ligaments, tendons and that sort of thing, is what we're concerned about."

Watch: Waxing their boards – the secret behind Meribel snowboarding success.

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