Skeeter Werner Walker

Gladys Maxine "Skeeter" Werner Walker (December 22, 1933 – July 20, 2001) was an alpine ski racer and Olympian from the United States.[1][2]

Skeeter Werner Walker
Full nameGladys Maxine Werner (-Walker)
Born(1933-12-22)December 22, 1933
Steamboat Springs, Colorado, U.S.
DiedJuly 20, 2001(2001-07-20) (aged 67)
Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Biography

Born and raised in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, "Skeeter" Werner learned to ski and race at Howelsen Hill.[3] An alternate for the 1952 Olympic team,[4] she was youngest member of the U.S. Ski Team at the 1954 World Championships[5] and the U.S. Olympic team in 1956. Werner retired from competition in 1958, and modeled and designed fashions in New York.[6] She returned to Steamboat Springs in 1962 and opened a ski shop with her younger brothers Wallace ("Buddy" 1936–64) and Loris ("Bugs" b.1941), also Olympians.[1] She later founded the Steamboat Ski School.

In 1966, one of her ski school students was Doak Walker,[7] a famous NFL running back (and winner of the Heisman Trophy in 1948). They eloped in 1969 to Las Vegas[1][8] and lived together in Steamboat Springs for the rest of their lives. He died in 1998 at age 71,[9][10] eight months after a ski accident left him paralyzed.[11][12] She died of cancer in July 2001, at age 67.[1][6]

References
  1. "Remembering: Skeeter Werner". Skiing Heritage: 36. September 2000.
  2. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Skeeter Werner Walker". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  3. Phillips, Autumn (January 12, 2003). "Werners became first family of Steamboat". Steamboat Today.com. Archived from the original on January 11, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  4. "Werner family dominates junior tourney". Deseret News. United Press. April 2, 1951. p. A9.
  5. Ross, Tom (July 25, 2001). "Paying tribute to 'Skeeter'". Steamboat Today.com. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  6. Ross, Tom (July 20, 2001). "'Skeeter' Werner Walker dies". Steamboat Today.com. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  7. Werner, Skeeter (January 3, 1967). "First suggestion: get an instructor". Pittsburgh Press. p. 40.
  8. Fimrite, Ron (December 8, 1997). "Olympic skier Skeeter Werner". Sports Illustrated. p. 17.
  9. "Doak Walker dies of paralysis injuries". Reading Eagle. Associated Press. September 28, 1998. p. D9.
  10. "Friends, family honor Walker". Victoria Advocate. Associated Press. October 1, 1998. p. 2B.
  11. "Walker injured in skiing accident". The Item. Sumter, South Carolina. Associated Press. January 31, 1998. p. 3B.
  12. Reilly, Rick (May 18, 1997). "The longest yard for Doak Walker". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 20, 2014.


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