Laurie Stephens facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Laurie Stephens

Stephens at the 2013 World Championships
Personal information
Nationality	American
Born	(1984-03-05) March 5, 1984 (age 40) Wenham, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height	5 ft 0 in
Weight	119 lb
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Para-alpine skiing
Disability class	LW12-1
Event(s)	Downhill, slalom, giant slalom, super combined, super-G
Medal record Women's para-alpine skiing Representing  United States Winter Paralympics Gold 2006 Turin Downhill, sitting Gold 2006 Turin Super-G, sitting Silver 2006 Turin Giant slalom, sitting Silver 2010 Vancouver Downhill, sitting Bronze 2014 Sochi Downhill, sitting Bronze 2014 Sochi Super-G, sitting Bronze 2018 Pyeongchang Downhill, sitting World Championships Gold 2013 La Molina Downhill, sitting Gold 2021 Lillehammer Giant slalom, sitting Silver 2011 Sestriere Downhill, sitting Silver 2011 Sestriere Super-G, sitting Silver 2023 Lleida Super-G, sitting Silver 2023 Lleida Alpine combined, sitting Silver 2023 Lleida Giant slalom, sitting Bronze 2011 Sestriere Super combined, sitting Bronze 2013 La Molina Super-G, sitting Bronze 2015 Panorama Super combined, sitting Bronze 2019 Sella Nevea Super-G, sitting Bronze 2021 Lillehammer Slalom, sitting

Laurie Stephens (born March 5, 1984) is an alpine monoskier who has spina bifida. She has won multiple medals for the United States at the Paralympics. She has also had success at the IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup.

Career

Laurie Stephens started skiing at age 12 on Loon Mountain in New Hampshire and then began racing 3 years later at age 15 when she became a member of Chris Devlin-Young's New England Disabled Ski Team. Stephens competes in 5 different skiing events which are the downhill, slalom, giant slalom, super-G, and Super Combined. She has competed in 4 Paralympic games and 5 world championships. Her debut as a Paralympian was in 2006 and since she has competed in the 2010, 2014, and the 2018 games. She has won a total of 7 Paralympic medals (2 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze) and 7 world championship medals (1 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze). Stephens was named the Paralympic Sportswoman of the Year in 2006 by the United States Olympic Committee. Some of her best racing performances where in 2006 when she won her two gold medals in the super-G-Sitting (time 1:33.88) and downhill-Sitting (time 1:46.86). In 2006 Stephens was also nominated for an Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award as Best Female Athlete with a Disability. In the 2018 PyeongChang games Laurie Stephens won a bronze medal for the US in alpine skiing using a mono-ski, her time was 1:35.8. In 2018 she also placed 4th in the Super combined-Sitting, 5th in the super-G-Sitting and Slalom-Sitting, 7th in giant slalom-Sitting. Stephens also has competed for the United States in Paralympic swimming she held two records on in the 100-meter backstroke and one in the 200-meter backstroke.

She won the gold medal in the women's giant slalom sitting para-alpine skiing event at the 2021 World Para Snow Sports Championships.

Education

Outside of sports she studied therapeutic recreation at the University of New Hampshire.