Nikki Stone was the first American to win a gold medal in aeriels at the Winter Olympics, achieving this in 1998. This came only 18 months after a fall which bruised her spinal cord, leading doctors to believe she might never ski again. During her career she won 35 World Cup medals and 11 World Cup races, and was World Champion in aeriels in 1995, with a World bronze in 1999. In the year-end World Cup standings, she led the aeriels in 1995 and 1998, and was overall champion in 1998. Stone was a four-time US Champion in aeriels in 1993-95, and 1998. Stone graduated from Union College and earned a master’s in sports psychology from the University of Utah. She works as a motivational speaker and a visiting professor at the University of Utah.
United States