Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke never did reach the Olympics. But her efforts to get her event into the games before dying in a training accident this year have helped her achieve a high honor from her country’s Olympic committee.
Burke will be inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in September, the Canadian Olympic Committee said Tuesday.
Burke, a pioneer of freestyle skiing and a four-time Winter X Games gold medalist, was a major force in getting the ski half pipe event added to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, both the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association and the COC have said.
She was considered a medal contender for the event’s 2014 Olympic debut. But she died at age 29 on January 19, days after falling and rupturing a vertebral artery during a training run at Park City Mountain Resort's superpipe in Utah.
In a statement released by the COC, Burke’s mother, Jan Phelan, said that “Sarah was one of those extraordinary women who believed that anything was possible.”
“I think that her belief not only helped her succeed, but inspired others to be the best they could be. I know that Sarah would be happy that all she worked for and sought to achieve is being honored with her induction into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame,” Phelan said.
Besides her Winter X Games exploits, the Ontario native and British Columbia resident won gold at the 2005 World Championships in Finland and received ESPN’s best female action sports athlete award in 2007. She also was the first woman to land a 1080-degree spin in competition.
Joining Burke on September’s inductee list are the 2010 Canadian men’s hockey team and the 2006 Canadian women’s hockey team, both of which won gold. The inductees also will include Daniel Igali, a 2000 gold medalist in freestyle wrestling; Beckie Scott, a gold and silver medalist in cross country skiing; Jean-Luc Brassard, a 1994 gold medalist in freestyle skiing; and Julie Sauve, Canada’s longtime synchronized swimming coach.
The induction ceremony will take place September 21 at Toronto's Air Canada Centre.
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Let's give everybody that has an accident or dies trying induction to the hall of fame. Seriously?
Really? She was a pioneer of her sport, and died trying to progress the sport. Look at her accomplishments. She's not being inducted because she died. You're ignorant and disrespectful. Grow up.
She had stones.
Rest in Peace Sarah. You are beyond the reach of mean spirited low achieving Trolls who think being disrespectful on a blog is an accomplishment.
Like I said before, this woman was here for my viewing pleasure.
She would have eventually been inducted had she lived; she would have competed in the 2014 Olympics.
Congratulations to Ms. Burke and her family.
But the media would have you believe it was an accident.
The Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame. She'll join the likes of...um...that guy who almost won bronze in Rome and...uh...the woman with the hair...and my cousin Jeff who could jump really good. Yeah.
Fool, Canada won the last winter olympics with 14 gold medals.
These sorts of posthumous honors just encourage other young athletes to waste their precious lives in the same way. Instead they should honor people who value their own lives enough to live them fully instead of throwing them away on dumb and dangerous activities at a young age. I'm sorry she died, but someone should have reminded her how short and precious and fragile life is and how she should treasure hers and protect it and find something fulfilling and meaningful to do with it that doesn't put it at pointless risk every day. She could have lived a full, interesting, rich life with a family and hobbies, and loved ones, but instead she tossed away on meaningless thrill seeking. Just because someone else thinks these dumb sports are worthwhile doesn't mean they actually are. They're meaningless in the scheme of things and it makes no sense to waste one's life pursuing them.
so using your logic why should we watch grown men hitting a little white ball with sticks, or bouncing a ball and putting into a basket, or people running around in a circle wearing little shorts.
same could be said about climbing mountains and going into space....
BillyD paging BillyD.... Your mom called she wants the car back she has to go to work.
Poor sheltered person...
Ya, your right BillyD, she should have sat safely at home on her couch and watched tv, played skiing games on her xbox and sat in front of her computer looking at all the cool things to do in the world, from the safety of her home. A person can get killed from an idiot running a stop light are you kidding me with your post? Everyone is going to die, and some too soon, atleast get off your duff and go live life. If it's your time, your not going to do anything about it, and staying at home isn't going to save you.
another ignorant comment
To all the idiots posting degrading crap.
If I could hunt you down and slap you I would. Among all her accomplishments Sarah was an amazing REAL person, with a REAL husband and many people who loved her and miss her dearly. I know it's probably beyond the capacity of your puny warped little minds, but try to show some respect.
Great person and amazing skier! You will be missed.
Very charming smile. Will miss it
Awesome news! Sarah Burke was an extraordinary athlete, and a truly wonderful person. She is sorely missed, but will never be forgotten!
Yet, our war-dead go unnoticed.
Actually, they are VERY noticed. Just mainly within their own communities. And for the record, there's a big wall in Washington called the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. If you ever go there, look at all of the names and tell us how many of them did NOT die in Vietnam.