Skeeter Werner Walker
American alpine skier (1933–2001)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gladys Maxine "Skeeter" Werner Walker (December 22, 1933 – July 20, 2001) was an alpine ski racer and Olympian from the United States.[1][2]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Gladys Maxine Werner (-Walker) |
| Born | December 22, 1933 |
| Died | July 20, 2001 (aged 67) Steamboat Springs, Colorado |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Skiing |
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]
