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When one hears that a Ward was injured while surfing, a supermodel is not the first thing that comes to mind. Chris Ward can count his blessings though, because according to a recent update from Australian supermodel Gemma Ward, she was the one to bear the unfortunate burden of a serious-sounding spinal injury in the water.
The 37-year-old Perth native rose to prominence in the 2000s, after she was discovered at the age of 15. From there, she immediately catapulted to stardom, appearing on numerous runways, magazine covers and campaigns. A year later, she was the youngest model to appear on the cover of American Vogue. By 2007, she was reportedly one of the world’s top-earning models, making approximately $3 million a year at 19 years old.
Though she still walks the runway and appears in magazine spreads, Ward now spends less time in the spotlight than in her formative years. She now enjoys a much more private existence in Sydney, where she raises her three children. However, a recent post to Instagram reveals that her idyllic-sounding life has been temporarily upended by a surfing injury.
“A lot has happened since I last posted,” wrote Ward. “I broke three vertebrae in my spine from a surfing accident.”
It also appears that the accident took more than just a physical toll on the model. “[I] flew to Paris to shoot for Lancôme again which was a complete honor, but in the wake of my accident I forgot to renew my passport so I had to get an emergency one and nearly missed the whole shoot,” she continued in the post.
However, she seems to be on the mend, and making the most her recovery time. “[I] finished a Faber novel writing course which was phenomenal, read some great books, reflected on my life and the current state of the world,” she concluded. “Currently working on my strength and rehabilitation and my novel as well as the strange mess of life with three kids.”
