For the week of March 20 - 26, 2002

Inspiration

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Muffy Davis is an inspiration.

This amazing athlete wound up the 2002 Paralympics with three silver medals in downhill, super giant slalom and giant slalom.

That more than beat her previous performance in Nagano, Japan, where her best finish brought her a bronze medal in slalom.

Davis was one of two athletes chosen to light the torch for the Utah games. The honor was well-deserved. At 29, she is a two-time World Cup overall champion and a graduate of Stanford University.

The neck injury she sustained as an aspiring young Sun Valley racer could have ended her future in the sport. The distance she has traveled from that fateful training run on Baldy to three silver medals is enormous.

Her resilience is extraordinary. She had to overcome the physical and psychological challenges of a life-altering injury. That’s a Herculean feat that could daunt the strongest heart. Yet, instead of becoming a victim, Davis has become a champion.

All Olympic athletes overcome challenges to rise to the top of international competition. They must be tenacious, single-minded and resourceful—just to compete at that level. Paralympians must do more. They must master the alchemy that can transform disability into ability, and discouragement into encouragement.

Davis is a champion of the first order. Her performance in the face of adversity is something we’ve been lucky to follow over the years. Her achievements should give heart to anyone who experiences setbacks—even if it’s only a bad day.

She took the awards podium smiling. We hope she heard the applause coming from her hometown.

 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.