Actress Joanne Peh hit by snowboarder, injures her knee while skiing in China

SINGAPORE – Home-grown actress Joanne Peh was recently knocked down by a snowboarder while skiing in China’s northern Xinjiang region, leaving her unable to stand due to severe leg pain.

The 42-year-old returned to Singapore on Jan 30 and told Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao on Jan 31 that a check-up at a Chinese hospital revealed no major bone damage.

However, she had injured her left, right and central cruciate ligaments, and suffered from bruising. She was instructed by a doctor to rest for at least one month and avoid unnecessary movement.

A novice skier who picked up the sport in March 2025, Peh had travelled with her husband, Singapore-based China-born actor Qi Yuwu, to Altay prefecture in Xinjiang for skiing.

After two days of training, Peh was skiing alone on a beginner slope on the third day when she was hit by the snowboarder. With her boots fixed to both skis, Peh lost her balance and fell awkwardly, injuring her right knee.

“I was in intense pain and panic, and couldn’t react in time because I had never experienced anything like this,” she said. “After I tried to stand up but collapsed, I knew I couldn’t ski down the mountain.”

The actress added: “The person who knocked me down and her instructor helped me to the side and contacted the ski resort’s emergency services. They did not wait for the emergency team to arrive and left after giving me their WeChat contacts.”

Peh waited for the rescue team alone. After numerous failed attempts to reach Qi, she grew worried that something might have happened to him as well. Qi, 49, eventually met her in the ski resort’s emergency room, where the resort’s first responders took her.

“It turned out he didn’t have his phone with him. After waiting for me at the base of the mountain with no sign of me, he took a cable car up to look for me,” Peh said. “He saw the first responders bringing someone down the mountain, recognised my clothes and hurriedly skied down to find me.”

She was later taken to hospital by ambulance where she underwent X-rays and an MRI scan, and a doctor confirmed the injury was severe. The accident occurred near the end of the trip, allowing her to return home as scheduled.

She will wear a brace to stabilise her knee for the next month, limiting her mobility and requiring the use of crutches.

Peh informed the snowboarder of the situation via WeChat after she was treated at the Chinese hospital, and said she received the reply: “You have bought insurance anyway.”

Peh said: “Accidents while skiing are common, but I had never experienced one before, so I didn’t know how to handle it – unlike a traffic accident, where I know the procedures.”

She added that she regrets her poor handling of the situation due to momentary panic after the accident, and hopes Singaporeans will learn from her experience.

She said it is crucial to document the incident if one meets with an accident, such as taking photos or filing a police report.

Peh, who is a sports enthusiast, plans to see a doctor in Singapore on Feb 2 and said she would adhere to the month-long movement restriction. “I’m thinking long-term,” she said. “I’ll endure it now to ensure there will be no complications later.”