Sarah Burke, the pioneering Canadian freestyler, who helped get superpipe accepted into the Olympics, died Thursday after a Jan. 10 crash during a training run in Park City, Utah. Burke, who lived near Whistler, in British Columbia, was 29. Tests revealed she sustained "irreversible damage to her brain due to lack of oxygen and blood after cardiac arrest," according to a statement released by her publicist, Nicole Wool, on behalf of the family.
That's so sad.
ReplyDeleteRIP
Terrible loss. What a tragedy.
ReplyDeletethat is so sad, what a beautiful talented girl
ReplyDeleteEveryone should Google The Ski Channel piece that was done on Sarah and her husband, Rory. Sooo touching.
ReplyDeleteHow sad, I thought she would pull through somehow.
ReplyDeletewas so hoping she'd pull out of it...RIP
ReplyDelete29 just seems like way to young to die even doing something you love. RIP
ReplyDeletePrayers and condolences to her family. What a terrible thing to happen. RIP, Sarah.
ReplyDeleteIt's very sad. I think what I find the saddest is that her medical bill is $550,000 and if this had happened while she was in Canada the family wouldn't have been responsible to pay for it. There is a fundraising site to help the family with that huge amount of money www.giveforward.com/sarahburke
ReplyDeleteNot speaking for all Canadians here, but probably in the majority of what we are all thinking ....
ReplyDeleteThank you Sarah to being a wonderful inspiration to your sport. We Canadians loved you dearly. RIP Sarah.
I watched their wedding on YouTube when I heard...
ReplyDelete$550,000?! OMG!!!
This is very sad. From all accounts, it sounds like she was a really nice person.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, there is some major fundraising going on to help her family with that medical bill...
I'd never even heard of this beautiful girl until I read about her on this site, and this makes me really sad. It's a cliche to say "Only the good die young," but, unfortunately, too often, it's true. RIP, Sarah.
ReplyDeleteshe opened doors for women to walk through, she is immortal now.
ReplyDeleteRIP.
What an amazing athlete. I've seen her wedding video on YouTube and it was really sweet.
ReplyDeleteRIP Sarah.
I was afraid of this as soon as they cancelled the press conference. I'm sorry she never got to Sochi, where I thought she would have carried our flag. RIP Sarah.
ReplyDeleteThe world has lost a living angel. The sweetest girl I've ever known.
ReplyDeleteLife is darker now without her.
FYI...that medical bill has now been paid. Two donors paid the whole thing in full.
R.I.P.
ReplyDeleteShe was so young, sad. My condolences to her family.
Himmmm - that is amazing - I was wondering why the ski team didn't step up to help (maybe they did).
ReplyDeleteThis is a huge loss, any way you slice it.
This is so sad. I was really hoping she would pull through.
ReplyDeleteOh ugh.
ReplyDeleteI just hope she was unconscious and never felt any pain from the injury.
:-(
How sad. These are the kinds of things that make me so afraid of extreme sports. For how resilient the human body truly is, especially for someone like her--in her 20s and in good shape--the brain and spine can be so incredible delicate and fragile. One fall and you can suffer irreversible damage.
ReplyDelete$550k really isn't that much if she had surgery for the ruptured artery in her neck that she suffered in the crash. I'm sure people who have had serious surgeries in the past can attest to this--hospital and surgeon fees are truly exorbitant. It breaks my heart when people have to have life saving surgeries/hospital stays and not be able to pay. It's not a few thousand dollars here and there. It can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, even MILLIONS, so quickly.
That is so sad. And Etta James too? This day sucks.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOn second thought, I hope what Hmmmm is saying is true.
ReplyDeleteWas just reading about this on Toronto Star's website, specifically the comments regarding the donation requests. I'm attaching a link. It just makes you wonder about certain things.
http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/1118587--sarah-burke-s-family-sets-up-website-to-help-pay-for-her-medical-bill?bn=1#comments
I saw this on the TTC last night as I was leaving class.
ReplyDeleteTerrible.
@Surfer
ReplyDeleteI read the comments. Huh. Makes you wonder.
Sue Ellen give is a brief recap.
ReplyDeleteI was so sorry to hear about this today. She was amazing to watch. And truly beautiful inside and out.
Figgy, like you I also hope she didn't feel a thing or feel afraid. Makes me think of the movie Heaven can Wait, and she was wisked away beforehand.
Surfer:
ReplyDeleteWithout going into details...this morning when this news was reported, two wealthy stars/producers at Warner Bros called their accountants to check on this situation and instructed him to pay any outstanding balance direct to hospital. That may take a day to do (you cannot wire half a mil instantly). Also, there may be other financial needs of Rory and family, etc. in which case donations should accrue. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES will the names of the donors be made public. Just know that some people in Crazywood still have hearts.
;-)
Hmmm - that's great to hear, and thanks for following up. Various Canadian media outlets are reporting that the fund has received between $30,000-$90,000 so far.
ReplyDeleteOh, and Hmmmm - no one ever needs to know who paid the bill. There's nothing I hate more when people brag about what they've done (hello, Oprah).
ReplyDeleteThat is the meaning of true charity.
I know this is going to be unpopular to say but WOW, this is such a waste of life to me.
ReplyDeleteI respect and appreciate her contribution to females in extreme sports, no question.
But when I read that a woman my exact age died who was in the prime of her life, full of vitality and health, and all for a fucking sport where you balance on 2 skies and do tricks on a superpipe in the snow, I have to say, is a human life worth all that just for some sport?
I think not.
So, sad. She was gorgeous. RIP Ms. Burke.
ReplyDeleteJasmine, I understand where you're coming from. However, in my very limited understanding, for many top-tier athletes, this is not just a "sport" like it is to someone like me. This is their life force, their essence. They have found that one thing in life that combines all of their talents and their desires, and makes their souls sing. Some of us manage to find this through less risky activities (parenting, teaching, statistics, writing, cooking, law...). Some find this nirvana through endeavors that require risk -- financial, emotional, physical. Those risk-takers are the game-changers and explorers and leaders. I bow to them, whether I understand them or not. May she rest in peace, and may her family and friends find comfort in her legacy.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update Himmmm.
ReplyDeleteSleep well Sarah, you made a big difference while you were here.
I'm so happy that medical bill has been paid off, I cannot imagine how horrific it would be to have a seriously injured family member and then be given a bill for an amount that could pay for a house.
ReplyDeleteIf only everyday Americans were so fortunate to not have to worry about huge medical bills.
To Hmmmm, if you're still checking in.
ReplyDeleteWas just watching the news -- Sarah Burke's family released a statement thanking everyone. They shared that so much money was donated, that not only has her hospital bill been taken care of, "but that the flood of donations has ensured they will not have any financial burden related to her care," and will create a foundation in her name.
Wonderful news at this very sad time.
@3culprits- WOW
ReplyDeleteYou eloquence humbles me, thanks that actually made a lot of sense :))
*Your
ReplyDeletedammit.
Don't think that the irony of fumbling up a sentence while complimenting you on your eloquent thought hasnt hit me. hahaha