Newsday

But with a hat and gloves on, it's hard to tell that Steve Halliday, a former New York City firefighter, had more than 50 percent of his body burned after barely escaping a basement flash fire in 2002.

For some, it might be even harder to believe that Halliday, of Babylon, has since obtained a pilot's license, learned to ride a motorcycle and is an avid fisherman.

And he recently competed at the rigorous Hartford Ski Spectacular, a weeklong snowboarding and ski competition for the disabled in Breckenridge, Colo.

"When I was up at the ski spectacular, I beat myself up for the first few days," he said, laughing. "Everything takes a little longer. I have to figure out a different way to do things like snowboarding."

Exercise as a remedy

Halliday, 47, who joined 800 participants in the December ski competition, is part of a growing number of physically active people who faced sudden disability yet continue to be active to aid in their physical and mental healing process.

"When people become disabled, the No. 1 thing on their mind is when will they be able to go back to work," said Ron Gendreau, executive vice president and director of group benefits at The Hartford, the insurance company that sponsors the ski competition.

"Sports really helps people heal, and skiing helps create an environment where they can actually experience the speed and excitement," Gendreau said.

Halliday retired in 2005 after 18 years as a firefighter. In the late- night hours following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center, he went to the site to assist fellow firefighters and clear debris. But it was something seemingly smaller than 9/11 that would change his life forever.

On Nov. 7, 2002, Halliday and two other firefighters from Ladder 165 responded to a basement fire in Queens. After they'd gotten halfway into the building, the smoke banked down to the floor, and within minutes everything in the room ignited.

"It went from pitch black to bright orange, and that's all I saw," Halliday said. "You were as lost as you would be in the dark."

Halliday said that the fire, in certain areas, might have reached up to as much as 3,000 degrees. He quickly told his men to back out of the room. One firefighter was able to escape through a window and the other through a door.

But Halliday tripped while trying to get out and lost his helmet. Then, he tripped a second time and then a third. With little hope, he held onto his oxygen mask with everything he had.

"I couldn't get up. I just laid there and tried to keep the face mask on," he said, adding that the mask was burning off. "Then, it started getting dark. I thought that was it. I couldn't believe it. I survived 9/11, I really didn't think this would happen out in Queens."

Halliday said the darkness he was seeing was not death, but rather it was the work of his colleagues, who had managed to put out the fire.

Halliday was rushed to Nassau University Medical Center and eventually ended up at the Cornell Burn Center at New York Presbyterian Hospital. About 55 percent of his body was burned in the fire. He had third degree burns to his head, his arms, torso, legs and hands.

"He probably had a 1-in-4 chance of living. He was 42, had a 50 percent burn and ended up having respiratory failure," said Dr. Palmer Bessey, associate director of the New York Presbyterian Burn Centre.

Halliday was in a coma for six weeks and underwent 10 surgical procedures, including amputation of fingers and extensive skin grafts.

Becoming a lefty

Halliday became left-handed, since some of the fingers on his right hand no longer function. "You know how they say, 'If you're a righty, you can't be a lefty? Well, if they cut off your right hand, you become a lefty."

One day, Halliday got a phone call from Tom Westman, the 2005 winner of the hit television series "Survivor: Palau."

Westman invited Halliday to the weeklong Hartford Ski Spectacular, where he competed with recently disabled Iraq veterans and firefighters.

"They had speed again, the wind blew in their hair again, and they were going faster than the other skiers," Halliday said.

Halliday said he performed well in the competition, noting, "I didn't wipe out." He also delivered an address to the group about his ordeal.

"Luckily I was 42 when it happened. I knew who I was. Seeing all of those soldiers, my heart goes out to them. To see all of these guys missing legs and arms, and they're only 20 years old, they don't know who they are. And now, their whole life has been changed."

Positive attitude

Halliday stays at home to take care of his two daughters, while his wife works as a nurse. But he's far from a homebody.

"He has a can-do attitude, and he chose not to just sit around and do nothing," Bessey said. "Why some people do that and others give up, it's hard to know. ... It probably goes back to personality."

Despite nearly losing it all in a sudden blaze, Halliday considers himself one of the lucky ones.

Besides, he's still able to do some of the bigger things life has to offer, even though he's had to relearn the smaller things.

"I just started tying shoes, with Speed Laces," he said, looking at his boots. "I type as well as I always did."