Salt Lake Tribune | 2002-01-31 | Page 29

TheSalt Lake Tribune ROAD TO THE GAMES Parallel Skiers Bonded By Competition Picabo Street Muffy Davis Thursday, January 31, 2002 big medical bills.It’s expensive to be a paraplegic and the When she went back to Wood River High School, Davis threw herself into her studies. 1991, she was the school’s @ Continued from C-1 telling others they would one pre-med. While Picabo wasless successful in school, she was be- win medals in the Olympics. “A lot of that, we were competed any time we got out and did something. I didn’t want her to score any more “T can remember taking a chair lift with Muffy and we would talk about what we would do when we had millions of dollars,” Street said. “Muffy always wanted to help people with disabilities and I always wanted to help poor people.” Street wrote in her recent book, Picabo: Nothing to Hide, that the two took first and secondin racesso frequently they called themselves “The Muffy and Picabo Show.” Street World Cup: In 1993, one {downhil); in 1994, ‘one second (downhill); in 1995, six firsts (downhil), two seconds (downhill and super-G)and one third (super-G); in 1996, three firsts (downhill) and three seconds (down- hil). World Championships: Fin- ished second in combined in 1993; won downhill and finished third in super-G in 1996. Olympics:Won silver medal in downhill in 1994 and gold medalin super-G in 1998. pointed out in the book, however, that she was the one who usually won. “I just laugh at her,” Davis said. “If she needs to write that. And it was true. I mean, she was a year older, so I was always chasing. Nothing made her more upset than when I won.” Lane Monroe, who coached Davis and Street as junior skiers, remembered ‘neither one ‘liked to lose. “They had tworeally different personalities,” Monroe said. “Picabo was always a handful. She was tough in her demeanor. Muffy wasa fiercely competitive girl who hated to lose and more than that, she hated to lose to Picabo. The main difference is Muffy was a tremendous student.” Even as juniors, they stood team, training with the US. ski team in Sun Valley. On Feb. 18, 1989, Davis was the third skier andthefirstfemale down a new run at Bald Mountain.At one point, there was a sharp turn and the course crossed a rough cat track. Davislost control, flying off the course into two trees. Thefirst broke her back and the second shattered her helmet, one that had once be- longed to Street. The break was at mid-chest level, what doctors would call a TS-T6 break. When shegotto the hospital, her father was the first to read her X-rays. She was paralyzed from the mid- chest down and was transferred to a hospital in Colorado 2). World Championships: Wongiant slalom in 2000. Paralympics: Won bronze medal in slalom in 1998. with disabilities. Davis also knew herlife had changed, not ended, with the accident. “He was a great strength in her healing,” said M.B.Davis.“ Some people when they become disabled, they feel their strength is only in their physical abilities. She always knew she was very lovable and we would always love her because of her brother.” Davis’ family sued the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, citing what they said were unsafe course conditions. After a bitter fight, the two sides settled. “Tt was difficult in a little town,” M.B. Davis said. “There wasa liability policy in place. When she wentafter that liability policy, some of the for three months rehabilitation. Separate Ways: Becauseof Christopher, the Davises knew how expensiveit all, because they had insur- Olympic would be having a second child being blamed, but there were ski of Born: Dec. 1, 1972 Podium Finishes World Cup:In 1996,three firsts (downhill, super-G,giant slalom); in 1999, four first places (super-G), one second (downhill) and one third (giant slalom). In 2000,one first (super-G); in 2001, three first places (slalom, downhill and super-G)and seven seconds (downhill, slalom 2, super-G 2, giant slalom 2); in 2002,twofirst places (slalom,giantslalom) and three second places (super-G,slalom out, each winning national age-group championships and competing in the world juniors. By 1989, Street was skiing on the Worid Cup for the U.S. team and Davis wason the U.S. development PICABO STREET monoski, she struggled, in part coming established on the ski young, immature, very competitive girls,” Davis said. “We soccer goals than I did. But we also both had the same goal of going to the Olympics and I think thattied us together.” They had other big dreams as well. other and hopethe bestfor one another without any gray area.” The year she graduated in homecoming queen and valedictorian. The next year, she went to Stanford, studying day “Normally, the podium is only big enough for one. Now,we get to root and cheerfor one an- medical bills are ongoing.” coaches felt she was going to hurt the Ski Education Foundation. It didn’t hurt them at because she was learning all team, winning the Nor-Am overalltitle in 1991 and 1992. In 1993, she wonthesilver medal in the combined downhill at the world championships, and in 1994, she wonthesilver in the Olympic downhill at Lillehammer. over again and also because her equipmentdid notfit her. Onecoach said she would not be able to be competitive because her disability was so great. With nostrength in her More than 5,000 miles away, Davis made a decision as she watched ontelevision as Street wonher medal. “When Peekie wonhersilver, it was one of the hardest days since the day I broke my back,” Davis said. “We had both said we were going to do this and heresheis, out there doing it and I wassitting in shorts and a T-shirt in Stanback to,if this is what you really wanted to do, you canstill do it, it is just different than what you thought.” Davis told her family she would delay entering medical schoolto return to skiing — in a monoski, with a goal of making the Paralympics. “Tm not sure they under- stood,” Davis said. “I’m not sure they understand now.” “I said to. her. ‘Well, why can’t youjustleave it alone and let [skiing] be a nice recreationalsport.’ ” said her mother. “She said, ‘Unfinished business, mom.’ From the time she was 6-years-old, she had told me that God had made her aski racer.” ComebackTrail: A year after the Olympics, Streetrarely lost. Davis, on the other hand, was having diffi- culty getting down the mountain. Herlevelof disability, with sorry for myself,” Street said. “For me to got through some of the injuries, they were miniscule com to what she has gone through. It makes me check myself. abdomen, turning was diffi- Would wouldn't. I would have had a I be that strong? I tougher tims Before sheleft, Davis asked Street if she had any spare eventually, she found engineers speed suits andStreet shipped herone. Notlongafter that, Davis made the US. disabled ski who could build her a comfortable monoski. team. In 1998, thes: ame year Street won the super-G at the In 1994 at Sun Valley, Street Olympics, Davis was also in Nagano, winning a Paralympic bronze medalin the slalom. yearslater, they were training at Mount Hood, Ore., whenthey met again and Street invited Davis overfor dinner. “Normally, the podium is only big enough for one,” Street said. “Now, we get to root and cheerfor one another and hope thebest for one another without any gray area.” After this year's Paralympics, Davis plans to give up “WhenI saw her, I came up and congratulated her on her medal, but it was just awkward,” Davis said. “I was em- competing. “I feel like I have accomplished what I wanted to accomplish,” Davis said. “What's barrassed because I hadn't called her and she’d won her medal twoyears earlier.” Davis said shealsofelt that so unique and special about the Paralympics or Olympics is whoI have become in getting there. For me, one of my main maybeStreet didn’t want to see her becauseshe didn’t want to be reminded of how dangerous her sport was. For her part, goals is to break down the Street admitted feeling guilty negative stereotypes and stig- for not seeing Davis sooner. mas toward people with disabilities. The way I can affect The two talked about their feelings and the distance between them gota little smaller. “Tt goes right to, ‘Why her and not me,’” Street said. “I the mostpeople is through the media.Ideally, in five years, I'd like to host my own TV show.” Street also looks at television as herfuture. completely understood and knew exactly howshe felt. We “T think [TV] is going to be unavoidable for me,” Street grew up talking out loud to each otherand boasting to each said. “It’s going to be my way to keep involved and keep close tabs on skiing,to articulate my knowledgeofthe sport.” other. I would have been frustrated, too.” World Cup. Whenshefirst be- A few monthslater, Davis visited Street in the hospital in Vail after Street tore her ante- gan skiing recreationally in a rior cruciate ligament. nofeeling below her armpits, is the highest level on the feeling cult. Fortunately, though her oncelarge legs had withered, she’d built up her upper body so much her college friends nicknamed her “guns” because of the size of her arms. Davis kept training and saw Davisforthefirst time in a wheelchair and the space between them was awkward. Two ford, Calif., so far away from my goal. It kind of brought me “When she rolled in my room, I had my bottom lip out, After all these years, it couldstill be the “Muffy and Picabo Show.” ance. 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