Complex Ankle Fracture Surgery: How a World Champion Wingsuit Flier Competed Again in Four Months

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Experts estimate that more than five million people skydive each year across all experience levels — and the number of skydivers today has surpassed pre-pandemic levels. But for some, there is an even more compelling way to jump from a plane: wingsuit flying.

Wingsuit flying is the sport of skydiving using a specialized suit with fabric wings between the legs and arms. It generates increased lift and allows for extended airtime by gliding rather than free-falling. There are an estimated 5,000 active wingsuit skydivers in the world today, and wingsuits are sometimes called "birdman suits," "squirrel suits," or "bat suits."

Like all skydiving disciplines, a wingsuit flight almost always ends with a parachute deployment — ideally with the pilot gradually reducing speed and landing cleanly on both feet.

What Is Wingsuit Flying? Inside the Sport's Most Elite Discipline

Joe Ridler, 45, of Chicago, fell in love with wingsuiting because it combined his passion for speed, competition, and flight.

"I played lots of competitive sports growing up, but really wanted to be a pilot ever since I watched Top Gun obsessively throughout an entire summer as a kid," he explains. "I wanted to join the Air Force, but was disqualified after an eye test showed I was partially color blind. I was devastated."

He later discovered wingsuiting on YouTube and methodically laid out a plan to learn it himself — starting with skydiving and eventually graduating to wingsuiting.

"It feels like your body is a fighter jet," Joe says. "I have completed just over 2,500 wingsuit skydives, including performance competitions which measure time, distance, and speed."

With years of practice and experience, Joe has become a 15-time U.S. and World Championship medalist — earning six U.S. National Championship bronze medals, five U.S. National Championship silver medals, two World Championship silver medals, and two World Championship gold medals.

A Hard Landing: How a Miscalculated Wingsuit Jump Shattered His Ankle

A few years ago, as Joe was preparing for that autumn's World Championships, he completed his second jump of the season at Chicagoland Skydiving Center. Instead of a clean landing, he miscalculated his speed and height and came in hard.

"Honestly, I landed like a lawn dart," Joe explains. "I came in too low and too steep. I triggered my emergency flare at the last second when I realized what happened, bounced off the ground, did a front flip, and rolled over into a seated position."

He quickly checked his back, head, and knees — and found nothing. Then his right ankle gave him a very different signal.

"My right ankle flopped over and started to feel like there was a blowtorch on it," he says.

Paramedics stabilized his ankle on the scene and transported him to a local emergency department, where imaging revealed multiple injuries. Staff directed him to seek a specialized surgeon immediately.

Diagnosing a Complex Ankle Injury: Fibula Fracture, Syndesmosis Rupture, and Deltoid Ligament Tear

"On my way home from the emergency department, I called and left a voicemail for Dr. Julia Bruene of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, who immediately called back and referred me to Dr. Daniel Bohl, an experienced foot and ankle surgeon in her practice," Joe says. "I had an appointment with him that Monday."

Dr. Bohl ordered additional imaging and explained the full scope of Joe's injuries.

"Joe had a multipart fracture of his fibula — the slender long bone on the outside of the lower leg — that could only result from a high-energy impact like a very hard fall," Dr. Bohl explains. "This was paired with a rupture of his syndesmosis, the ligament connecting the tibia to the fibula, and a tear of his deltoid ligament, a primary stabilizer of the ankle joint. Together, these injuries left Joe's ankle unable to support his body weight without partially or fully dislocating."

Open Reduction and Internal Fixation: Repairing a Shattered Ankle with Plates, Screws, and Ligament Repair

Dr. Bohl scheduled surgery at Rush University Medical Center later that week and successfully repaired all of Joe's injuries in a single procedure.

"Joe underwent open reduction and internal fixation of the ankle," Dr. Bohl explains. "This involved making surgical incisions to expose the fracture, repositioning the bone fragments, and using metal plates and screws to hold them in place while they heal. We also repaired the deltoid and syndesmotic ligaments using sutures. The entire procedure took about an hour and a half, and he was able to go home the same day. Without surgery, Joe would have developed an unstable, unusable ankle with chronic pain, deformity, and arthritis."

Dr. Bohl counseled Joe that full recovery would require dedicated physical therapy and could take four to six months — and encouraged him to be patient.

"I understood the timeline but told Dr. Bohl about my goal to compete in the National Championships in September and the World Championships in October — just over four months away," Joe explains. "Dr. Bohl and I were both hopeful."

Ankle Surgery Recovery Timeline: How Joe Healed Faster Than Expected

Joe committed fully to his physical therapy program. At his three-month follow-up, Dr. Bohl was pleased enough with his progress to clear him to compete.

"He gave me the OK!" Joe exclaims.

The very next day, Joe returned to Chicagoland Skydiving Center for his first jump since the injury. He felt ready.

Back to World Championship Wingsuiting Four Months After Ankle Surgery — and Taking Gold

Just over four months after shattering his ankle, Joe competed at the Wingsuit World Championships in Eloy, Arizona. He and Team USA took home the gold medal.

"I'm incredibly grateful to Dr. Bohl and his team at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush for putting me back together and getting me to a place where, in many ways, my ankle feels even better than it did before," Joe says. "From start to finish, they were exceptional. They answered every question I had, gave me confidence through a tough process, and paired top-tier skill with genuine compassion. They are the best at what they do — and just as important, they are great humans."