Skiers stories inspire others
Davis and Street profiled nationally
By MEGAN THOMAS
Express Staff Writer
Picabo Street and Muffy Davis
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Two former Wood River Valley skiers are sharing their tales of triumph to inspire others.
Childhood friends, Picabo Street and Muffy Davis, are, individually, inspiring others on television and through live presentations. The events are completely independent of one another but reflect both athletes? achievements over discouraging odds.
This season the Outdoor Life Network features Street?s story on a new program titled ?Fearless.? The program airs on the OLN 9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16. The program takes an in-depth look into the lives of athletes who push the limits of outdoor sports and overcome tragedy.
?It (Fearless) is an hour long inspirational documentary series about outdoor athletes that overcome a great many odds,? said Jason Berger, associate producer of the series.
Street, a two-time Olympic medallist, is one of the six athletes featured in the series who not only dominate their sports, but overcome injuries and various other hurdles to do so. In addition to Street, the series profiles Kelly Slater, Dave Mirra, Greg Lemond, Bethany Hamilton and Bodacious, which happens to be the ?world?s most dangerous bull.?
Berger said the program focuses on Street?s determination to return to skiing after a horrific crash during a 1998 downhill ski race in Crans Montana, Switzerland. In the fall Street broke her femur and shredded her knee ligaments.
?If you were to talk to her doctor, Dr. Steadman, he would tell you there was a good chance she could have died due to the bones she had broken,? Berger explained.
Instead, Street overcame the injury and returned to race for the U.S. Ski Team at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
?She worked hard to come back from it,? he said.
The story also focuses on the economic obstacles Street overcame in order to ski race.
?To be able to figure out a way to do it, that in itself is inspirational? he said.
Street?s slot on ?Fearless? will run on the network into December.
While Street makes waves on television, Davis is doing so in person. Davis appeared Nov. 3, 4 and 9 at REI stores throughout the West to share her motivational story. She has an upcoming appearance on Dec. 7 at REI in Manhattan Beach, Calif.
?It?s a real motivational talk from Muffy about getting people acquainted with her story and her passion for the area,? said Carrie Westergard, marketing director for the Sun Valley Ketchum Chamber and Visitors Bureau.
Davis grew up skiing alongside Street on Bald Mountain. As a young racer, Davis crashed into a tree during downhill training on the mountain, leaving her paralyzed. She returned to the sport as an adaptive skier and won three silver medals in the 2002 Paralympics and two World Cup overall titles.
?She is really positive for having something that could have been a real alternative,? Westergard continued. ?She could have taken it another direction. Instead she really embraced her situation, passing on the message ?you can be best person you can be and you can do anything you want to.??
