TWO years ago, an accident left Sam Gurner with a broken pelvis and fearing he would never walk again - let alone continue with his beloved sport, skiing.

Thanks to hours of hard work on Pontypool's dry ski slope, Sam, 14, Woodside Terrace, Crumlin, is now a champion. But the teenager says a Torfaen council plan to close the ski slope in the summer would leave him “devastated”.

Sam was injured in a collision with a motorcycle in Hafodyrynys Road in January 2009, fracturing his pelvis and breaking his right leg.

Spending two days in the Royal Gwent Hospital and eight weeks in plaster, Sam, who also had to do school work at home for three months while he was on crutches, said he feared he might not walk properly again.

The youngster, who has skied since the age of five, said he was also devastated to think he might not be able to return to the slope.

But determined to realise his dreams of becoming a top skier, the Newbridge Comprehensive pupil said: "I was scared I wouldn't be able to ski again, but slowly started walking, then running and built up my fitness."

He returned to the sport six months later and was back racing at the end of 2009.

Through continuous practice with Torfaen Ski Club, he was crowned south east Wales skiing champion in his age group at the end of last year and was also the best Welsh skier at the Celtic Cup.

The teenager says it is thanks to the support of his family and having the ski slope so close by that he has achieved this.

He said: "I was determined to ski again and I would be devastated if the slope closed in the summer. It would mean a lot of people would miss out."

The Argus reported earlier this month how Torfaen council is proposing to close the ski slope from April until September this year as part of £9.2 million council cuts.

Council leader Bob Wellington said that this was due to the council facing "difficult times" in the budget and that the council was doing the best it could in the situation.

Torfaen council estimates that closing the ski slope for the summer will save it £20,000 in staffing and other costs.