Steven Lee was brought up in Falls Creek, his parents moved him and his two sisters there in the 60’s to build Attunga Lodge and live a lifestyle they all adored.

Steve grew up to be Australia’s most accomplished alpine skier, winning a World Cup and competing in 3 Olympics, then going on to commentate many more.

On the 6th of September 2020 Steve was found on the floor by his nephew. It had been somewhere between 12-18 hours since Steve had suffered a large and debilitating stroke. The amount of time that had elapsed between the stroke occurring, and then getting airlifted to Melbourne and receiving medical assistance meant that the news was not good.

Originally the doctors told Steve that he’d live the rest of his life from bed, requiring overhead tracking and at least three people just to transfer him into a wheelchair. Being the man that he is, this just wasn’t good enough. He endured 6 months in Wangaratta Hospital, then moved to a facility in Albury where he continued his rehab.

Thanks to his incredible dedication and strength, he is now home with his daughter in Mount Beauty. He has defied all odds by not only making it out of bed and into a wheelchair, but he’s also now walking! He’s still dealing with no movement on his left side, a deficit that means he can’t see the world to his left, and a lot of brain damage that effects mainly his short-term memory. Whilst his quality of life has improved over the few years since the stroke, he will require 24-hour care for the rest of his life.

None of what Steve has dealt with has taken away his love for the snow, and although he is limited in his capacity to enjoy it, he loves watching others enjoy what has brought him so much joy over the years. Because of this, Falls Creek Backcountry Tours lives on, and if you’re lucky you might even catch him out on a tour.

So come and enjoy what his mountain has to offer.

Take a lap for Steve.