Michael Schumacher’s daughter reveals how she’s dealing with her dad’s condition | F1 | Sport

Michael Schumacher’s daughter Gina has revealed that her father’s devastating skiing accident turned her world upside down in numerous ways. The 29-year-old confessed she “had to do something” to distract herself from the harrowing ordeal and threw herself wholeheartedly into equestrianism.

Schumacher has remained out of the public eye since his ski crash left him in a coma for almost six months after suffering bleeding and bruising on the brain. The 57-year-old fractured his skull while on a family holiday in Meribel and underwent two brain surgeries in a bid to save his life. Ever since, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion has kept his life firmly under wraps, permitting only a handful of trusted individuals to visit him.

Gina opened up in her upcoming documentary – Horsepower: The World of Gina Schumacher – about the profound impact her father’s accident had on her.

She said: “After dad’s accident, I really threw myself into it because I had to do something. The horses have always been important. But since then they’ve really been… I mean, I couldn’t do without horses. They helped me get through everything.

“She [my mother] used to have a horse, and when we were younger, she wanted to start again. But she wanted a safe horse. Then she was in Dubai with dad, and they rode Arabians.

“Dad fell off one. There was a Quarter Horse next to it, and he was there to calm the others down. And then mum said she wanted a horse like that.”

Reflecting on her parents’ backing throughout her career, Gina added: “I’m grateful that I can do this. Because it’s not something to take for granted. ‘My parents made it possible. That’s why it’s always been important to me to work hard in this area, so that I can do it as well as I possibly can.”

Schumacher’s wife Corinna disclosed that the Formula 1 legend once told her their daughter would surpass her in the equestrian sphere. She said: “Michael once said to me, when Gina was ten, ‘Gina will be much better than you.'”

“He explained, ‘Because she’s more selfish. If you’re an athlete, you have to be selfish in a certain way. And that’s great. Otherwise, you won’t amount to anything.’ Today I think, he was so right.”

Schumacher continues to remain out of the public spotlight with the Daily Mail reporting in January that he is no longer bedridden.

The former F1 star resides in a £30million estate in Majorca with his family and an extensive team of medical experts available to provide him with 24-hour care.