Brush can use her arms, but she has had to learn to navigate life in a wheelchair.
In the summer of 2006, Brush and her family established the Kelly Brush Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving ski racing safety and purchasing adaptive skiing equipment for people with spinal injuries. The Kelly Brush Century Bike Ride raised more than $145,000 in donations.
After the accident, Brush returned to Middlebury, resumed her class work, and continued as an active member of the ski team while learning to mono-ski. She graduated last year.
"I'm touched to receive this honor from the NCAA," said Brush, who grew up in Charlotte, Vt. "Sports have been such a vital part of my life that when I had my accident, I never thought about living any differently."
The Inspiration Award honors an NCAA athlete, coach, or administrator who uses perseverance, dedication, and determination to overcome a life-altering situation and to become a role model for others in similar situations.
Fun and games The Winter X Games are back, featuring high-flying skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling action from Colorado Jan. 22-25. ESPN and ABC will have 15 hours of live high-definition programming.
The women's free skiing movement is getting a boost with the first slopestyle event. Skiing slopestyle, where competitors take a long feature-laden run over jumps, rails, gaps, and kickers, has been a male-only offering for eight years. Eight women will compete in the finals and will be judged on their style, creativity, and tricks. The best of two runs determines the outcome.
Though the event is new, the competitors aren't. Canadian freeskier Sarah Burke and 25-year-old Jessica Cumming, who grew up in Wilton, Conn., are in the mix.
With the Olympics a year away, Winter X 13 will also feature the world's top Olympic snowboarders, including Lindsey Jacobellis, Gretchen Bleiler, Shaun White, Danny Kass, Kelly Clark, and Hannah Teter.
Yesterday, ESPN and the Aspen Skiing Co. agreed to a contract extension that will keep the Winter X Games in Colorado through 2012. This is the eighth straight year the Games will be held in Aspen.
