Sarah Burke, Four-Time Winter X Games Gold Medalist and Olympic Hopeful, Dies at 29
Sarah Burke, Canadian freestyle skier, four-time Winter X Games Gold Medalist and Olympic gold-medal contender, died yesterday at the age of 29 after complications from an accident at the Park City, Utah halfpipe January 10th. Burke was considered a pioneer in her sport as she successfully lobbied to add superpipe skiing to the Olympic Winter Games.
The accident tore one of Burke’s major arteries supplying blood to her brain, causing her to go into cardiac arrest. She underwent surgery and spent nine days on life support at the University of Utah Hospital. Doctors state that Burke suffered irreversible brain damage after the fall because of a lack of oxygen and blood to the brain.
Members of the skiing community say Burke was a pioneer among freeskiers who inspired them to do greater things. "Sarah was the one who, in a very positive way, stood in the face of adversity and asked, `Why not?"' said Peter Judge, the CEO of Canada's freestyle team.
"She's probably one of the nicest people I've known in my life, and that's about the only thing I have to say about it," said American superpipe skier Simon Dumont, a multiple X Games medalist.
Burke’s death is a devastating blow to the skiing community. Every day, experienced and knowledgeable athletes suffer serious, life-threatening and even deadly brain injuries. I hope that Burke’s story will serve as a reminder for those who participate in such activities to use extreme caution while enjoying these sports.
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