Street, Mead Lawrence, Will inducted to hall of fame

Skiing legends Picabo Street, Andrea Mead Lawrence and Paralympian Sarah Will were inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2009 in Chicago, Illinois last night.

“Something like this is a really nice reminder that I accomplished something great and that it still affects people in a positive way. It’s really a huge, huge honor – one of those kind of honors that’s hard to put words to,” said Street.

Street earned a silver medal at the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in the downhill. Four years later she won a gold medal in the Super G in Nagano by only one hundredth of a second.

Mead Lawrence, a three-time Olympian, is the only American woman ever to win two gold medals at one Olympic Winter Games, a feat she accomplished in 1952 at the Olso Games, winning the slalom and giant slalom. She died of cancer in March of this year at age 76.

Only one year after a skiing accident paralyzed Will from the waist down, she was back on the slopes on a mono ski. Four years later, in 1992, she won two gold medals in the downhill and Super G at her first Paralympics in Albertville, France. Will went on to rack up ten more Paralympic medals throughout her stunning career. 

Also honored at the ceremony were Michael Johnson (athletics), Teresa Edwards (basketball), Willye White (athletics), Mary T. Meagher (swimming) the 1992 Men’s Basketball Team, Men’s Gymnastics Team coach Abie Grossfeld, and special contributor Peter Ueberroth. All together the group has been a part of 19 Olympic and Paralympic Games and won 38 medals.

The ceremony will air in a nationally-televised broadcast on NBC on September 5 at 2:00 p.m. ET.

Skiing legends Picabo Street, Andrea Mead Lawrence and Paralympian Sarah Will were inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2009 in Chicago, Illinois last night.

“Something like this is a really nice reminder that I accomplished something great and that it still affects people in a positive way. It’s really a huge, huge honor – one of those kind of honors that’s hard to put words to,” said Street.

Street earned a silver medal at the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in the downhill. Four years later she won a gold medal in the Super G in Nagano by only one hundredth of a second.

Mead Lawrence, a three-time Olympian, is the only American woman ever to win two gold medals at one Olympic Winter Games, a feat she accomplished in 1952 at the Olso Games, winning the slalom and giant slalom. She died of cancer in March of this year at age 76.

Only one year after a skiing accident paralyzed Will from the waist down, she was back on the slopes on a mono ski. Four years later, in 1992, she won two gold medals in the downhill and Super G at her first Paralympics in Albertville, France. Will went on to rack up ten more Paralympic medals throughout her stunning career. 

Also honored at the ceremony were Michael Johnson (athletics), Teresa Edwards (basketball), Willye White (athletics), Mary T. Meagher (swimming) the 1992 Men’s Basketball Team, Men’s Gymnastics Team coach Abie Grossfeld, and special contributor Peter Ueberroth. All together the group has been a part of 19 Olympic and Paralympic Games and won 38 medals.

The ceremony will air in a nationally-televised broadcast on NBC on September 5 at 2:00 p.m. ET.