Heather Mills, the former wife of Sir Paul McCartney, has suffered a frightening accident while skiing in the Austrian Alps, leaving her reliant on crutches after breaking the brace of her prosthetic leg.
A Terrifying Moment on the Slopes
The 57-year-old activist and Paralympic skier was in the Hinterglemm region of Austria on a work trip for her brand, No Bloat, when the incident occurred. Mills revealed the accident happened on the very last run of her final day on the slopes.
In a statement to the Mail, a spokesperson explained the cause: "On the very last day of the last run, the slope was empty so Heather decided to gain some speed, which was a little bit too much for her leg brace." The force caused the screws in the brace to release, leading to a crash.
Lucky Escape and Recovery
Despite the scare, Mills considers herself fortunate. Sharing a photo on Instagram from 6th January 2026, where she is seen smiling on crutches in a bright orange ski suit, she wrote to her followers: "I hope everyone's New Year has got off to a great start. I was lucky to just break my prosthetic leg brace... bit swollen, but nothing broken."
The accident has left her residual limb swollen, requiring her to use crutches for five days until the inflammation subsides. Her spokesperson confirmed the prosthetic leg itself was not damaged and will only need a couple of hours at a clinic to repair the brace.
"Heather was thankful it was the last run of the day on the last day," they added, noting that the high-speed forces of skiing can gradually loosen the glued screws over time.
Background and Personal Life
Mills, a mother-of-one, lost her left leg below the knee in 1993 after being struck by a police motorcycle in London. She later became a champion adaptive skier, competing for the British Disabled Ski Team from 2010 to 2013 and winning multiple World Cup medals.
The accident comes after she spent Christmas with her partner, 39-year-old film producer and actor Mike Dickman. The couple, first linked in 2019 after meeting on a train, recently enjoyed a festive trip to New York.
Mills, a prominent vegan campaigner, has previously spoken about her relationship, urging singles during a 2024 appearance on ITV's Lorraine to "get off the apps" and engage with people in real life.
