Golden, Diana (1963—)

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Golden, Diana (1963—)

American ski racer who placed 10th out of 39 in a slalom race as the only disabled skier in the competition. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on March 20, 1963; grew up in Lincoln, an affluent suburb of Boston; lost her right leg to cancer at age 12 but continued to ski; attended Dartmouth, graduating in 1984.

Won the World Handicapped championships while a senior in high school; won 4 gold medals and 19 championships; won the Beck Award for being the best American skier in international competition (1986); placed 10th out of 39 in a slalom race as the only disabled skier in the competition (1987); won the gold medal in the giant slalom for disabled skiers at Calgary Olympic Games (1988); named Female Skier of the Year by the U.S. Olympic Committee (1988); named U.S. Female Alpine Skier of the Year by Ski Racing magazine (1988).

From an early age, Diana Golden went to the Cannon Mountain ski resort in Franconia, New Hampshire, near her parents' vacation home; by age five, she was skimming the slopes. In 1975, while walking through snow after a day of skiing, her right leg collapsed. With a diagnosis of bone cancer, the 12-year-old had to have her leg amputated above the knee. "Losing a limb was not something I had to overcome," she said. "I always skied and I intended to keep on skiing. There was never any question in my mind." Golden was back on the slopes in seven months, learning to ski on one leg.

She was spotted by David Livermore, a Sudbury Regional High School ski-team coach, when she was practicing on the slopes of Cannon Mountain. He invited her to try out for the team, and she soon became one of the its best skiers. Her training led her to compete in disabled racing, and at 17 she was a member of the national U.S. Disabled Ski Team (USDST).

Golden studied literature at Dartmouth College and raced with nondisabled skiers at Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont. She placed first

in the downhill and second in the giant slalom in the World Handicapped championships held in Norway in 1982. Golden began to tire, however, of her place in the spotlight as "the inspirational girl who overcame cancer." Putting away her skis, she concentrated on completing her English degree and, after graduation in 1984, began selling computer software. But a weekend on the ski slopes in Connecticut rekindled her love of the sport, and she decided to return to racing. Golden rejoined the USDST in March 1985, this time with a scholarship from the Women's Sports Foundation to help with training and travel costs. She also asked for support from companies to assist with full-time training expenses. Rossignol Ski Company became her sponsor, the first company to financially support a disabled skier.

Golden especially disliked being singled out because of her disability, believing that she and others with disabilities could compete with nondisabled athletes. In 1985, she pushed for the passage of the "Golden Rule" by the U.S. Ski Association (USSA), which specified preferential seeding of disabled skiers in sanctioned USSA races. Because places are reserved for disabled skiers after the first 15 racers, the rule allows qualified disabled racers to compete on the course before it becomes too rough from overuse. As a result of this rule, the USDST began to require its athletes to compete in at least five USSA nondisabled races a year.

In the meantime, Golden continued to master the slopes. In 1987, she finished 10th out of 39 in a USSA midseries race, the only disabled skier on the course. She was ranked the 10th-best three-track skier in the world. In 1986, she won the U.S. Ski Association's Beck Award. In 1988, she was named Ski Racing magazine's U.S. Female Alpine Skier of the Year. That same year, she was also the U.S. Olympic Committee's Female Skier of the Year. Golden won three gold medals at the World championships in Winter Park, Colorado, in 1990. On one leg, she was clocked at almost 65 miles per hour. In 1991, she won the prestigious Flo Hyman award for her commitment to excellence.

After her retirement in 1990, Diana Golden continued to work with the USDST promoting sports for the disabled. She was also made a member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America Demonstration Team. Her goal was to teach anyone with a desire to ski. Her prowess convinced public and corporate sponsors to accept disabled athletes on the terms of their ability.