YOUR AD HERE »

Sarah Will ends golden racing career

Daily Staff Report

Will, 37, who graduated from Vermont’s Green Mountain College in 1986 with a degree in fine arts and broke her back in a 1988 skiing accident, won a dozen Paralympics gold medals, starting in 1992. She also was a three-time world champion, the 2001 World Cup super-G champion and the women’s 2000 overall, slalom and giant-slalom World Cup champ.

“It’s time. It’s hard to leave when you honestly feel you’re still “on’ your game,” she said. “And I’ve enjoyed it. But it’s time to move on. I’m so thankful to all my coaches and my teammates, to all the people whose name I didn’t know but who gave me a smile and encouragement, who helped carry my skis or equipment, but I want to paint some more – I’ll probably take some lessons in oil painting this summer, and I want to do more motivational speaking, among other things.”

Will said she also would continue to run her December mono-ski racing camp in Vail.



Once described as “putting the “will’ in “willpower,'” she was the youngest of six children growing up in Valley Cottage, N.Y. She started skiing at 4 at Vermont’s Pico Ski Area. With four older brothers, she “was competitive right from the start.” That upbringing fueled her intensity on a mono-ski after going through the heralded disabled program at Winter Park.

“There’s no question Sarah will be missed,” said U.S. Disabled Program Director Sandy Metzger. “She had a fire on a race course, and during training, that you couldn’t ignore. It’s what made her such a great champion … and it’s what makes her a champion off the hill, too.”


Support Local Journalism