Picabo Street is used to doing things her own way.
When the American downhill skier was born to Dee and Stubby Street in 1971, the couple refused to impose a name on their baby girl. Instead they wanted “Little Girl,” as she was temporarily labeled, to be able to choose her own name when she was able to do so.
Two years later the Streets were forced to write a name on “Little Girl’s” passport, and they scribbled in the name of their daughter’s favorite game — peek-a-boo. The couple changed the spelling of the name to “Picabo,” which was the name of a nearby Idaho town named for a Native-American tribe.
Years later, Street decided to live with the childhood teasing over her unique name and made it her permanent identity.
That strength from her early years would eventually pay off for Street.
At the age of seven, the young Idaho native first started to compete competitively. However, Street’s goals weren’t of gold medals at that time.
“I always wanted to race the boys,” Street said.
But that innocence soon turned into a serious downhill career.
In 1989 Street qualified for the U.S National team, and the following year she introduced herself to the world when she won the silver medal at the combined downhill and slalom event at the World Championships.
In Lillehammer, in 1994, Street proved the World Championship medal wasn’t a fluke as the 23-year old won her first Olympic medal when she finished second in the downhill competition.
As exciting as earning the silver medal was for Street, it didn’t compare to the Olympic competition itself.
“I remember there were only a couple of us on the bus that were first-timers,” Street recalls of the Lillehammer Olympics. “We set out to really enjoy the Olympic experience.”
The 1994 Olympics turned out to be the starting blocks for Street’s international career. From 1995 to 1996 the American reigned as the alpine skiing queen, making 16 podium appearances in the 1994-5 and 1995-6 seasons, including a gold medal at the 1996 World Championships.
Then on Dec. 4, 1996, Street’s racing career suffered a set back. In what would end up being the first of three horrific crashes in the next few years, Street tore the ACL in her left knee during a timed practice run in Vail, Colo.
After coming back the following season to compete in the World Cup, Street suffered another injury in 1998, less than a week before the Nagano Olympics. During the World Cup competition in Are, Sweden, the American lost a ski and was hurled into the safety net after sliding down the upper portion of the course at a speed of 75 mph.
After the fall, Street was unconscious for nearly two minutes, but she suffered only a mild concussion.
Refusing to let the injury stop her from competing in the Olympic games, nine days after her fall Street came back and won the gold medal in the super-G.
“I was real serious in Nagano and very focused and really went to the [Olympic] Village only to do my processing and that was it,” Street said.
But unfortunately for Street that was not the end of her bad luck.
Just one month after her gold medal victory in the Nagano Olympics, the American suffered another crash in the last downhill event of the season. Street lost control when she turned a corner and crashed near the top of the course. After tumbling into the fence, the champion skier broke her left femur and tore a ligament and cartilage in her right knee.
In the off-season, Street underwent surgery to repair the damage done to her knee, and the recuperation delayed her return to the slopes.
On Dec.6, 2000 the American finally made her comeback to international competition, nearly three years after her accident. In the World Cup Street finished 34th, but she said she was happy to just be able to compete.
In 2001 the road to Street’s comeback was more significant. Sensing the Olympics right around the corner, the American pushed herself back into contingency. Street finished seventh in the 2001 World Cup downhill competition, and she regained some much-needed confidence by winning a string of low profile races.
Now, just about four years after her horrific crash, the American skier is set to surprise her hometown crowd in Salt Lake. Competing in only the downhill, the Idaho native is focused on what she needs to do to win a medal.
“I think for sure [only racing in the downhill] will be helpful in a way that I don’t have to hold back ? no holding anything back and really risk everything,” Street said. “Just let it all hang out because I have everything to gain and everything to lose at this point.”
Street’s quest to prove herself was put on hold on yesterday. While the skiers were supposed to race on Monday the high winds forced the event to be postponed until today.
Street, however, should have confidence leading her through her unexpected day off. Over the weekend the American proved once and for all that she is fully recovered from her injuries. In her practice run on Saturday, Street finished first, and then on Sunday she seemingly sent a message to the rest of her competition when she didn’t push herself to a quick time during her run.
Medal or no medal today, Picabo has shown that this “Little Girl” has the strength to overcome big time obstacles.
