Skeeter Werner Walker
Full nameGladys Maxine Werner (-Walker)
Born(1933-12-22)December 22, 1933
Steamboat Springs, Colorado, U.S.
DiedJuly 20, 2001(2001-07-20) (aged 67)
Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Gladys Maxine "Skeeter" Werner Walker (December 22, 1933 – July 20, 2001) was an alpine ski racer and Olympian from the United States.[1][2]

Biography

Born and raised in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, "Skeeter" Werner learned to ski and race at Howelsen Hill.[3] An alternate for the 1952 Olympic team,[4] she was youngest member of the U.S. Ski Team at the 1954 World Championships[5] and the U.S. Olympic team in 1956. Werner retired from competition in 1958, and modeled and designed fashions in New York.[6] She returned to Steamboat Springs in 1962 and opened a ski shop with her younger brothers Wallace ("Buddy" 1936–64) and Loris ("Bugs" b.1941), also Olympians.[1] She later founded the Steamboat Ski School.

In 1966, one of her ski school students was Doak Walker,[7] a famous NFL running back (and winner of the Heisman Trophy in 1948). They eloped in 1969 to Las Vegas[1][8] and lived together in Steamboat Springs for the rest of their lives. He died in 1998 at age 71,[9][10] eight months after a ski accident left him paralyzed.[11][12] She died of cancer in July 2001, at age 67.[1][6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Remembering: Skeeter Werner". Skiing Heritage: 36. September 2000.
  2. ↑ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Skeeter Werner Walker". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  3. ↑ Phillips, Autumn (January 12, 2003). "Werners became first family of Steamboat". Steamboat Today.com. Archived from the original on January 11, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Werner family dominates junior tourney". Deseret News. United Press. April 2, 1951. p. A9.
  5. ↑ Ross, Tom (July 25, 2001). "Paying tribute to 'Skeeter'". Steamboat Today.com. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  6. 1 2 Ross, Tom (July 20, 2001). "'Skeeter' Werner Walker dies". Steamboat Today.com. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  7. ↑ Werner, Skeeter (January 3, 1967). "First suggestion: get an instructor". Pittsburgh Press. p. 40.
  8. ↑ Fimrite, Ron (December 8, 1997). "Olympic skier Skeeter Werner". Sports Illustrated. p. 17.
  9. ↑ "Doak Walker dies of paralysis injuries". Reading Eagle. Associated Press. September 28, 1998. p. D9.
  10. ↑ "Friends, family honor Walker". Victoria Advocate. Associated Press. October 1, 1998. p. 2B.
  11. ↑ "Walker injured in skiing accident". The Item. Sumter, South Carolina. Associated Press. January 31, 1998. p. 3B.
  12. ↑ Reilly, Rick (May 18, 1997). "The longest yard for Doak Walker". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 20, 2014.


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