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SALT LAKE CITY (AP)
Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke died Thursday, nine days after crashing at the bottom of the superpipe during a training run in Utah.
TRAGIC SPORTS DEATHS
Sports has lost many athletes way too soon. We list a few.
Burke, who lived near Whistler in British Columbia, was 29. She was injured Jan. 10 while training at a personal sponsor event at the Park City Mountain resort.
Tests revealed Burke sustained "irreversible damage to her brain due to lack of oxygen and blood after cardiac arrest," according to a statement released by Burke's publicist.
A four-time Winter X Games champion, Burke crashed on the same halfpipe where snowboarder Kevin Pearce suffered a traumatic brain injury during a training accident on Dec. 31, 2009.
As a result of her fall, Burke tore her vertebral artery, which led to severe bleeding on the brain, causing her to go into cardiac arrest on the scene, where CPR was performed, according to the statement by publicist Nicole Wool.
Exactly two years ago, 24-year-old Kevin Pearce was in a coma. On December 31, 2009 he hit his head on a half pipe while snowboarding and suffered severe brain trauma in Park City, Utah.
And exactly 18 days ago Kevin Pearce was on a snowboard again. December 13, the day Pearce returned to the snow in Breckenridge, Colorado, marked the next step in his continual healing process.
"It's something I really needed for a long time," said Pearce. "It was almost more special than I could've imagined."
Pearce is reminded of the injury every day. He thinks about the day when he realized he wouldn't be competing at the 2010 Olympics because he woke up in a hospital bed. He will never be able to snowboard competitively again and still does eye therapy, physical therapy and cognitive therapy daily. He forgets where he left his wallet or cell phone regularly, and he lives with a friend because he still needs help with everyday tasks.
Originally posted by lonewolf19792000
They know the risks they take. No one gets into those sports oblivious to the fact they could die. A high risk sport is a high risk sport.