Kimberly Van Sistine’s birthday in 2025 was likely one of her most memorable. That’s because it was highlighted by a water skiing accident that shattered her ankle and sent her to the hospital.
Van Sistine’s birthday celebrations have long been a big deal for her family. Each year they gather at a cabin near Waupaca for a multi-day celebration filled with laughter, togetherness and new memories. Part of that is because she and husband, Rich, have birthdays just a day apart in July.
The evening of July 27, her husband’s birthday, Van Sistine hit the lake for a last round of water skiing before enjoying cake and beverages around the firepit. Van Sistine is a slalom master, a style that uses just one ski.
“We got out there and I’m looking at the water,” she recalled. “I eye it up and I’m looking off to the left thinking, ‘OK, that’s the glass. That’s where I’m going to cut really hard.’ And I’m just skiing and singing and having so much fun and then I just slipped.”
Fun to Fraught
Van Sistine’s family stopped the boat and rushed to her aid. The pain in her ankle was intense, she said.
“They jumped in the water and pulled me up,” she said. “Everybody was trying to get the ski off and finally I just grabbed it and yanked as hard as I could.”
When she removed the ski, her foot drooped, fell to the side and seemed barely attached. That’s when Van Sistine realized the severity of her injury.
The family raced to get her emergency care. They headed to ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah. On the way, a new problem emerged: The 911 calls kept dropping thanks to spotty cellular service. Finally, Van Sistine’s daughter hit the car’s SOS button. An ambulance met the family on U.S. Highway 10.
“It was the most intense pain,” said Van Sistine, a Neenah resident.
Once at the hospital, her medical team worked to stabilize her, help manage her pain and conduct tests on her ankle. Imaging showed extensive damage.
“It was dislocated, it was broken and the tendons and ligaments were shredded,” Van Sistine said. “It was just fragments because the bones were shattered.”
Mental anguish set in as the medical team worked to ease Van Sistine’s pain. She worried about her active lifestyle and whether water skiing, ballet with her daughters, travel and even the ability to walk and work would be in jeopardy.
“The hardest part for me was I knew I couldn’t ski the next day, on my birthday,” said Van Sistine, whose family includes four daughters ranging in age from 15 to 24.
She credits the emergency department team in Neenah for helping her through her initial difficult moments.
“They were just very calming and accommodating,” Van Sistine said. “Everybody there was so friendly.
Soon, more reassurance arrived. Dr. Michal Kozanek, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in foot and ankle care with ThedaCare Orthopedic Care, was on call that evening.
Plan of Care
“It was a serious accident. It was high energy,” Dr. Kozanek said of Van Sistine’s injury. “She was going quite fast and she had the type of ski that didn’t release. It spun out her entire leg, which broke the ankle toward the ligaments, toward the tendons.”
Initial X-rays showed a dislocation and fractures. Advanced imaging revealed a fracture to the talus, the bone connecting the ankle to the foot. Van Sistine’s ligaments and tendons around her ankle joint also were damaged, including a torn peroneal tendon.
She underwent ankle surgery on July 29, two days after her injury and one day after her birthday. Dr. Kozanek provided constant reassurance, Van Sistine said.
“The first thing I asked Dr. Kozanek was, ‘can I ski again?’ And he did say yes,” she said. “I was very excited. I was very hopeful.”
Recovery was a humbling and challenging experience, Van Sistine said. Her determination and devotion to physical therapy helped her make gains. “Every time my foot would hurt really bad, my husband would be like, ‘are you OK?’ And I’d be like, ‘yes, I’m healing!’”
Her commitment to physical therapy and positivity aided in her recovery, Dr. Kozanek said. “The positive attitude is half the battle.”
Remarkable Return
Nearly one year later, Van Sistine continues to make strides in her recovery.
Over Memorial Day weekend, she achieved her long-awaited goal of returning to water skiing: this time with a ski fitted with a hard-shell boot that allows for quick release in the event of a fall. It was a full-circle moment.
“It was very emotional and felt freeing,” she said. “It felt like trauma was released from my body, like the hidden fear was gone. It made me realize it’s important to face fears and not bury them.”
As Van Sistine reflects on the past year, she does so with new-found perspective.
“I don’t look this and get mad that it happened to me,” she said. “I look at it and think, ‘wow, I’m so thankful for everything I’ve already done.’ I feel like if you have regrets and you’re angry, you’re not really going to get better. Your thoughts are so huge in the healing process.”
ThedaCare offers several options for orthopedic care. Visit ThedaCare Orthopedic Care to schedule an appointment or explore care options.
