FULL NELSON
THROUGH HERE 2 HELP, CINDY NELSON STEERS ATHLETES
TOWARD AN ALL-AROUND RECOVERY BY KELLEY MCMILLAN
VAIL — Each time a racer steps into the start house, the
threat of injury looms large around every gate. Injury and ski
racing go hand in hand. Take Chemmy Alcott, who crashed
off a jump during a training run at Lake Louise on Dec. 2,
breaking her right leg and ending her season.
But injury isn’t always a bad thing, according to Cindy
Nelson, the first American — male or female — to win a
World Cup speed event. She believes that injury can actu-
ally provide an opportunity for growth and development.
And Nelson would know. During her 14-year career (1971-
1985), which included four World Championship titles and
one Olympic medal, she endured nine knee surgeries, four
hip surgeries, and two ankle operations. Success came at
a price.
Nelson splashed onto the racing scene in 1971, earning
a spot on the U.S. national team at age 15. Three years
later in 1974, she became the first U.S. racer to stand atop
a World Cup speed podium when she nabbed the downhill
victory at Grindelwald, Switzerland, dethroning Annemarie
Moser-Proll and ending the legendary Austrian skier’s 13-
SkiRacing.com DECEMBER 30, 2010 |40 A World Cup downhill victory in Grindelwald, Switzerland, in 1974, put Cindy Nelson in the record books.
Today, Nelson
assists athletes
through Here 2
Help.
