Sheila Holzworth
{{Short description|American para-alpine skier (1961–2013)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{MedalTableTop
| name = Sheila Holzworth
| image =
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| sport = Women's alpine skiing
| country_code = USA
| medals =
{{Medal|Competition|Paralympic Games}}
{{Medal|Gold|1984 Innsbruck | Women's Giant Slalom B1 }}
{{Medal|Gold|1984 Innsbruck | Women's Alpine Combination B1 }}
{{Medal|Silver|1984 Innsbruck | Women's Downhill B1 }}
}}
Sheila Holzworth (August 28, 1961{{cite book |last1=Anderson |first1=Shawn |title=Extra Mile America: Stories of Inspiration, Possibility and Purpose |date=2010 |page=110 |isbn=9780982097427 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x3x9MyIkJ-0C&q=sheila+holzworth+%221961%22&pg=PA110 |accessdate=16 July 2020}}{{cite web |title=Sheila Holzworth (1961 - 2013) - Obituary |url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/desmoinesregister/obituary.aspx?n=sheila-holzworth&pid=163916390&fhid=13075 |website=www.legacy.com |publisher=The Des Moines Register |accessdate=26 September 2020 |language=en}} – March 29, 2013{{cite news |last1=Quinn |first1=Rachel Vogel |title=Climb to the Clouds |url=https://civitas.central.edu/2013/02/climb-to-the-clouds/ |accessdate=16 July 2020 |publisher=Civitas: A Journal of the Central College Community |date=23 February 2013}}) was an American para-alpine skier. After going blind at age ten, she went on to win two gold medals and a silver medal at the 1984 Winter Paralympics as part of the United States delegation, among other achievements.
Biography
In 1981, the International Year of Disabled Persons, Holzworth was the first blind woman to climb Mount Rainier.{{cite news |last1=Glover |first1=Penny |title=Woman doesn't let blindness blocker her |url=https://www.nwitimes.com/uncategorized/woman-doesn-t-let-blindness-blocker-her/article_2fddd904-0821-5712-b5a8-0c99c7921c30.html |accessdate=16 July 2020 |publisher=NWI.com |date=4 February 1992}} She completed the climb as part of a team of people with disabilities.{{cite news |last1=Pieper |first1=Mary |title=Making things happen |url=https://globegazette.com/news/local/making-things-happen/article_bad60c4b-fccd-5cd8-b78f-b7e9349a26c8.html |accessdate=16 July 2020 |publisher=Globe Gazette |date=20 November 2003}}
In 1982, she won a gold medal in the giant slalom and silver in the slalom at the national ski competition hosted by the United States Association of Blind Athletes.
Holzworth won gold medals in two alpine skiing events, Women's Giant Slalom B1 and Women's Alpine Combination B1, at the 1984 Winter Paralympics. In addition, she won a silver medal in Women's Downhill B1. She also competed at the 1988 Winter Paralympics.{{cite web |title=Sheila Holzworth |url=https://www.paralympic.org/sheila-holzworth |website=International Paralympic Committee |accessdate=16 July 2020}}
She competed and won medals in several other competitions, including the World Cup Championships of Winter Sports for the Disabled in Switzerland and the National Snow Ski Competition and American Blind Water Ski Championships in 1983, and the International Blind Water Ski Competition in Norway in 1984. She also set other records, including a world record in trick water skiing for the blind and disabled in 1989, and being the first sightless person to jump on water skis in the United States.
She won the Ten Outstanding Young Americans award in 1989. She was invited to White House receptions at different times by Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.{{cite news |title=Featured: Former sightless athlete Holzworth recognized for Forever Dutch gift |url=https://news.central.edu/2017/11/former-sightless-athlete-holzworth-recognized-for-forever-dutch-gift/ |accessdate=16 July 2020 |publisher=Central College News |date=7 November 2017}}
References
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External links
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Category:American female alpine skiers
Category:Alpine skiers at the 1984 Winter Paralympics
Category:Paralympic silver medalists for the United States
Category:Paralympic alpine skiers for the United States
Category:Medalists at the 1984 Winter Paralympics