Diana Golden
Encyclopedia
Diana Golden Brosnihan, née Diana Golden (March 20, 1963, Lincoln, MA
– August 25, 2001, Providence, RI) was an American
disabled ski racer
. After losing a leg to cancer
at age 12, she went on to win 10 world and 19 United States championships between 1986 and 1990 as a three-tracker, or one-legged skier. Golden also won an Olympic gold medal in giant slalom at the 1988 Calgary Games
, where disabled skiing
was a demonstration sport
. She participated in alpine skiing at two Winter Paralympic Games
, in 1980 and 1988, winning two gold medals in the latter year. After retiring from skiing, cancer returned in 1992 and 1996, with her last bout of cancer resulting in her death in 2001.
with her parents. However in 1975, at the age of 12, her right leg collapsed while she was walking home from skiing and doctors diagnosed
bone cancer. As a result the doctors had to amputate her leg above the knee to stop the cancer from spreading.
Following the surgery the first question Golden asked was whether she would be able to ski again and was relieved to discover that she would be able to. After being fitted with a prosthetic device
she learned to walk and then ski again within six or seven months with the help of the New England Handicapped Skiing Association. In her junior year at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School
she became a member of the ski team and by the age of 17 had joined the United States Disabled Ski Team (USDST).
After high school Golden went to Dartmouth College
and gained a degree in English Literature
in 1984. While there in 1982 she competed at the World Handicapped Championships in Norway
, winning a gold medal
in the downhill
and a silver
in the giant slalom. However she then became disillusioned with competitive skiing and would join a group of born again Christians. After college she went to work for a local firm selling computer software before a friend reintroduced her to skiing and she rediscovered her love of it. In 1985 she rejoined the USDST and would gain sponsorships and a scholarship in order to be able to pursue it full time.
, downhill and combined
disciplines in both 1987 and 1988. Also in 1988 Golden won 2 golds at the World Disabled Championships and most famously won a gold in the giant slalom at the Winter Olympics
in Calgary
, where the event was a demonstration sport. Golden retired in 1990 but before this she would win 3 gold medals at her last World Disabled Championships in 1990 at Winter Park Resort
in Colorado
. In total throughout her career Golden won 19 national, 10 World and 1 Olympic disabled gold medals.
Golden at first used outrigger
s when skiing but would abandon these in favour of the standard ski pole
s so being able to reach greater speeds but requiring more strength and stamina. In 1990 using the normal ski poles and one ski
Golden was recorded as travelling at 65 miles per hour during a downhill race. As well as competing in disabled events Golden also took part in able-bodied
events and she got the United States Ski and Snowboard Association
(USSA) to pass the "Golden Rule" in 1985. Under this rule the top disabled skiers were able to race after only the top 15 skiers had taken part, thus enabling the disabled skiers to compete before the course becomes rutted from heavy usage. In 1987, competing against able-bodied competitors, Golden finished 10th in a USSA competition.
Golden received a number of awards during her career including the USSA's Beck Award in 1986 honouring the best female skier in international competition. It was in 1988 however that Golden received the most recognition when both Ski Racing Magazine and the United States Olympic Committee
named her female skier of the year, choosing her ahead of able-bodied skiers.
following her skiing career, and also took up rock climbing
and mountaineering
leading to a successful climb of Mount Rainier
. However in 1992, at the age of 29, she was diagnosed with breast cancer
, for which she had to be treated with bilateral mastectomies
. While operating on her, doctors also found a pre-malignant growth and as a result had to remove her uterus
. After this, realising she could never have children, Golden became depressed and in 1993 attempted suicide, something which she would consider again.
Golden recovered and resumed motivational speaking but would give this up for good in 1996 when she was again diagnosed with breast cancer, which was treatable but now incurable. She returned to New England
from Colorado
and it was here that she once more met Steve Brosnihan, a freelance cartoonist
she had known at Dartmouth College. Brosnihan and Golden fell in love and were married in August 1997.
Golden died in August 2001 from the cancer at the age of 38. Following her death Golden would inspire a race series called the "Diana Golden Race Series", hosted by Disabled Sports/USA, at mountains which offer programs that teach the physically disabled how to ski.
After her retirement from skiing Golden continued to be honoured by various organisations. In 1991 the Women's Sports Foundation
gave her the Flo Hyman Memorial Award, while in 1997 she was inducted into the US National Ski Hall of Fame and the International Women's Sports Foundation Hall of Fame. The citation on her entry into the International Hall of Fame read "She persuaded the ski world to treat all athletes the same, regardless of ability or, in her case, disability."
Lincoln, Massachusetts
Lincoln is a town in the historic area of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,362 at the 2010 census, including residents of Hanscom Air Force Base that live within town limits...
– August 25, 2001, Providence, RI) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
disabled ski racer
Paralympic alpine skiing
Paralympic alpine skiing is an adaptation of alpine skiing for athletes with a disability. Paralympic alpine skiing is one of the sports in the Paralympic Winter Games...
. After losing a leg to cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
at age 12, she went on to win 10 world and 19 United States championships between 1986 and 1990 as a three-tracker, or one-legged skier. Golden also won an Olympic gold medal in giant slalom at the 1988 Calgary Games
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
, where disabled skiing
Disabled skiing at the 1988 Winter Olympics
Disabled skiing was a demonstration sport at the 1988 Winter Olympics. Contrary to the Paralympics, these events were demonstrations held during the Olympics.- Placement table :- Modified Giant slalom for above-the-Knee Amputees :February 21, 1988...
was a demonstration sport
Demonstration sport
A demonstration sport is a sport which is played to promote itself, most commonly during the Olympic Games, but also at other sporting events.Demonstration sports were officially introduced in 1912 Summer Olympics, when Sweden decided to include glima, traditional Icelandic wrestling, in the...
. She participated in alpine skiing at two Winter Paralympic Games
Winter Paralympic Games
The Winter Paralympic Games is an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete. This includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and cerebral palsy. The Winter Paralympic Games are held every four years directly following the Winter...
, in 1980 and 1988, winning two gold medals in the latter year. After retiring from skiing, cancer returned in 1992 and 1996, with her last bout of cancer resulting in her death in 2001.
Early life
Diana Golden grew up in Lincoln, Massachusetts and began skiing at the age of five, making regular trips to Cannon Mountain Ski AreaCannon Mountain Ski Area
Cannon Mountain Ski Area, located on Cannon Mountain in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, is a state-owned resort that offers nine lifts servicing of skiing . Cannon Mountain has the most vertical of any ski area in New Hampshire, and the seventh largest in New England.It also has the only...
with her parents. However in 1975, at the age of 12, her right leg collapsed while she was walking home from skiing and doctors diagnosed
Medical diagnosis
Medical diagnosis refers both to the process of attempting to determine or identify a possible disease or disorder , and to the opinion reached by this process...
bone cancer. As a result the doctors had to amputate her leg above the knee to stop the cancer from spreading.
Following the surgery the first question Golden asked was whether she would be able to ski again and was relieved to discover that she would be able to. After being fitted with a prosthetic device
Prosthesis
In medicine, a prosthesis, prosthetic, or prosthetic limb is an artificial device extension that replaces a missing body part. It is part of the field of biomechatronics, the science of using mechanical devices with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems to assist or enhance motor control...
she learned to walk and then ski again within six or seven months with the help of the New England Handicapped Skiing Association. In her junior year at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School
Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School
Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School is a public, regional high school located at 390 Lincoln Road in Sudbury, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Its current superintendent/principal is Scott Carpenter.-History:...
she became a member of the ski team and by the age of 17 had joined the United States Disabled Ski Team (USDST).
After high school Golden went to Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
and gained a degree in English Literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
in 1984. While there in 1982 she competed at the World Handicapped Championships in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, winning a gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in the downhill
Downhill
Downhill is an alpine skiing discipline. The rules for the Downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships....
and a silver
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in the giant slalom. However she then became disillusioned with competitive skiing and would join a group of born again Christians. After college she went to work for a local firm selling computer software before a friend reintroduced her to skiing and she rediscovered her love of it. In 1985 she rejoined the USDST and would gain sponsorships and a scholarship in order to be able to pursue it full time.
Skiing career
Within a year of taking up skiing again Golden had won 4 gold medals internationally including 3 in the 1986 World Disabled Championships. She was dominant in the United States Disabled Alpine Championships winning all four of the giant slalom, slalomSlalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
, downhill and combined
Alpine skiing combined
Combined is an alpine skiing event. Although not technically a discipline of its own, it is sometimes referred to as a fifth alpine discipline, along with downhill, super G, giant slalom, and slalom.-Traditional & Super-Combined:...
disciplines in both 1987 and 1988. Also in 1988 Golden won 2 golds at the World Disabled Championships and most famously won a gold in the giant slalom at the Winter Olympics
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, where the event was a demonstration sport. Golden retired in 1990 but before this she would win 3 gold medals at her last World Disabled Championships in 1990 at Winter Park Resort
Winter Park Resort
Winter Park Resort is an alpine ski resort in Winter Park, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains. Located just off U.S. Highway 40, the resort is about an hour and a half's drive from Denver, Colorado....
in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. In total throughout her career Golden won 19 national, 10 World and 1 Olympic disabled gold medals.
Golden at first used outrigger
Outrigger
An outrigger is a part of a boat's rigging which is rigid and extends beyond the side or gunwale of a boat.In an outrigger canoe and in sailboats such as the proa, an outrigger is a thin, long, solid, hull used to stabilise an inherently unstable main hull. The outrigger is positioned rigidly and...
s when skiing but would abandon these in favour of the standard ski pole
Ski pole
Ski poles are used by skiers to improve balance and timing. Early ski poles were simply sticks, then bamboo , then steel . In 1958, Ed Scott invented the aluminium ski pole...
s so being able to reach greater speeds but requiring more strength and stamina. In 1990 using the normal ski poles and one ski
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
Golden was recorded as travelling at 65 miles per hour during a downhill race. As well as competing in disabled events Golden also took part in able-bodied
Able-bodied
Able-bodied refers, in law, to an individual's physical or mental capacity for gainful employment or military service, and it is in this sense that the term is also used regarding eligibility for payment of child support or alimony....
events and she got the United States Ski and Snowboard Association
United States Ski and Snowboard Association
The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association is the national governing body for Olympic skiing and snowboarding. Founded in 1905, the century-old organization provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders from over 400 member clubs who share an Olympic...
(USSA) to pass the "Golden Rule" in 1985. Under this rule the top disabled skiers were able to race after only the top 15 skiers had taken part, thus enabling the disabled skiers to compete before the course becomes rutted from heavy usage. In 1987, competing against able-bodied competitors, Golden finished 10th in a USSA competition.
Golden received a number of awards during her career including the USSA's Beck Award in 1986 honouring the best female skier in international competition. It was in 1988 however that Golden received the most recognition when both Ski Racing Magazine and the United States Olympic Committee
United States Olympic Committee
The United States Olympic Committee is a non-profit organization that serves as the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States and coordinates the relationship between the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency and various...
named her female skier of the year, choosing her ahead of able-bodied skiers.
Later life
Golden became a motivational speakerMotivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
following her skiing career, and also took up rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
and mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
leading to a successful climb of Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
. However in 1992, at the age of 29, she was diagnosed with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
, for which she had to be treated with bilateral mastectomies
Mastectomy
Mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. Mastectomy is usually done to treat breast cancer; in some cases, women and some men believed to be at high risk of breast cancer have the operation prophylactically, that is, to prevent cancer...
. While operating on her, doctors also found a pre-malignant growth and as a result had to remove her uterus
Uterus
The uterus or womb is a major female hormone-responsive reproductive sex organ of most mammals including humans. One end, the cervix, opens into the vagina, while the other is connected to one or both fallopian tubes, depending on the species...
. After this, realising she could never have children, Golden became depressed and in 1993 attempted suicide, something which she would consider again.
Golden recovered and resumed motivational speaking but would give this up for good in 1996 when she was again diagnosed with breast cancer, which was treatable but now incurable. She returned to New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
from Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and it was here that she once more met Steve Brosnihan, a freelance cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
she had known at Dartmouth College. Brosnihan and Golden fell in love and were married in August 1997.
Golden died in August 2001 from the cancer at the age of 38. Following her death Golden would inspire a race series called the "Diana Golden Race Series", hosted by Disabled Sports/USA, at mountains which offer programs that teach the physically disabled how to ski.
After her retirement from skiing Golden continued to be honoured by various organisations. In 1991 the Women's Sports Foundation
Women's Sports Foundation
The Women's Sports Foundation "is an educational nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by tennis legend Billie Jean King." Its stated mission statement is "To advance the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity."...
gave her the Flo Hyman Memorial Award, while in 1997 she was inducted into the US National Ski Hall of Fame and the International Women's Sports Foundation Hall of Fame. The citation on her entry into the International Hall of Fame read "She persuaded the ski world to treat all athletes the same, regardless of ability or, in her case, disability."