Brazilian two time Olympian gymnast Lais de Souza was injured on Monday while training with her coach to participate in the Sochi Winter Games as the first Brazilian freestyle skier, according to the Associated Press.
The Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) said the injury which occurred on Monday in Salt Lake City left the skier without mobility in her arms and legs, according to the AP.
The gymnast underwent spine realignment surgery after a "severe trauma" during Monday's accident, the AP reported.
Few details about the accident were released but the statement said she did not sustain the injuries while trying freestyle maneuvers, the AP reported.
In the statement posted on their website, the committee announced Souza was being treated in intensive care at the University of Utah hospital and is ''awake and can follow commands'' but could only breathe with help from a ventilator, the AP reported.
Souza, 25, participated in the 2004 and 2008 Summer olympics and was unable to attend the 2012 Olympics as a gymnast due to a hand injury, according to the AP.
''Lais has a long recovery process in front of her,'' Team Brazil doctor Antonio Marttos said in the statement. ''A long-term prognostic cannot be predicted at this time. Her medical team is doing everything possible to allow her to have the best recovery possible.''
The statement also said Souza was wearing her helmet while training on Monday and that she was skiing "freely" next to her Canadian coach Ryan Snow at Park City, the AP reported.
