Sarah Burke: Athletes react to freestyle skier’s death

Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke died Thursday, leaving the winter and extreme sports community devastated.

The 29-year-old fell during a superpipe training run in Park City, Utah, last week and suffered “irreversible damage to her brain due to lack of oxygen and blood after cardiac arrest,” according to a statement from her publicist.

An Olympic gold-medal hopeful and four-time Winter X-Games champion, Burke’s vibrant spirit for ad­ven­ture and her passion to push the boundaries of her sport skyward resonated well beyond the ski community.

In the wake of her sudden passing, athletes took to Twitter to express their shock, sadness and sympathy for Burke’s family.

So saddened by the news about Sarah Burke. RIP my thoughts and prayers go out to all family and friends and the skiing community.

— Julia Mancuso (@JuliaMancuso) January 19, 2012

"You can shed tears that she is gone,or you can smile because she has lived. You can close your@ Lake Wanaka instagr.am/p/ixFf4/

— Gretchen Bleiler (@GretchenBleiler) January 20, 2012

we are thinking of you Sarah Burke... your impact will be felt for a long time.#RIP

— Abby Wambach (@AbbyWambach) January 20, 2012

My thoughts and prayers go out to Sarah Burke and her family. She changed her sport and left a legacy. Amazing person too. #RIP

— Heather Mitts (@heathermitts) January 19, 2012

Burke spent nine days on life support at the University of Utah Hospital, incurring hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of medical expenses. Her family has set up a Web site requesting donations to help cover reported costs of around $550,000 at giveforward.com/sarahburke.

The Canadian Freestyle Ski Association insures all of its athletes, but the policy does not cover non-sanctioned events, according to a National Post report. Burke’s training session was sponsored by Monster Energy, not the CFSA. The site had already generated nearly $90,000 in donations by late Friday morning.

Saddened by the loss of such an amazing athlete. Please help Sarah's family in this tough time. giveforward.com/sarahburke

— lindsey vonn (@lindseyvonn) January 20, 2012

I'm saddened by the passing of @sarah_j_burke.She was a great friend to all of us and gave so much of her (cont) tl.gd/fe5rrr

— Billie Jean King (@BillieJKing) January 19, 2012

More from Washington Post Sports:

Early Lead: Burke died ‘peacefully surrounded by those she loved’

Sarah Burke dies from injuries sustained in superpipe accident

Family, doctors of Burke cancel medical update

Burke has surgery for head injury, no prognosis for recovery

Early Lead: Sarah Burke remains in medically induced coma after freestyle accident

Halfpipe skiers acknowledge dangers of sport but still hit superpipe

View the original article here

Freestyle skier Sarah Burke died ‘peacefully surrounded by those she loved’

Sarah Burke, a Canadian freestyle skiing pioneer and champion, has died from injuries she suffered in a fall after a training run last week in Park City, Utah.

Burke, 29, suffered “irreversible damage to her brain due to lack of oxygen and blood after cardiac arrest,” her publicist said in a statement.

“Sarah passed away peacefully surrounded by those she loved,” the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association said in a news release.

Burke went into cardiac arrest on the course and was resuscitated on the scene after falling Jan. 10. She had been placed in a medically induced coma and underwent surgery at a Salt Lake City hospital to repair a ruptured vertebral artery that had caused intracranial bleeding. An expected update on her condition by her doctors Monday was suddenly canceled and concerns for Burke’s recovery grew.

(Mark J. Terrill - Associated Press) Publicist Nicole Wool said Thursday Burke’s organs and tissues were donated in accordance with her wishes.

“The family expresses their heartfelt gratitude for the international outpouring of support they have received from all the people Sarah touched,” the statement said.

Burke, who lived in Squamish, B.C., was a four-time Winter X Games champion and a fierce advocate for her sport, which will be included in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. She was a favorite to medal.

Her death will continue to provoke debate about the safety of extreme sports. Kevin Pearce, an Olympic snowboarding medalist, suffered a traumatic brain injury when he struck his head in a fall on the same course in 2009. After two years of intense therapy, he took his first ride on a snowboard in December, but his injuries prompted debate about the dangers of winter sports. Halfpipe courses, with their high walls and steep, slick surfaces, are particularly dangerous, as is the luge. Nodar Kumaritashvili, a Georgian luge slider, died after colliding with a metal pole during a training run in the Vancouver Olympics.

In the below excerpt from The Ski Channel’s second feature film, “Winter”, posted to YouTube on Jan. 11, Burke and her husband, Rory Bushfield, discuss their passion for skiing.

“That’s where we’re the happiest,” Burke said. “It’s what our lives are is being on the hill, and there’s a reason for that. It’s amazing. It’s where we met, it’s where we play, we live .?.?. and where we’ll die.”

(H/T Bruce Arthur)

More from Washington Post Sports:

Early Lead: Athletes react to news of Burke’s death

Sarah Burke dies from injuries sustained in superpipe accident

Family, doctors of Burke cancel medical update

Burke has surgery for head injury, no prognosis for recovery

Early Lead: Sarah Burke remains in medically induced coma after freestyle accident

Halfpipe skiers acknowledge dangers of sport but still hit superpipe

View the original article here