Biography

Vital Statistics

Birth date:  August 22, 1965                     Birth place: New Orleans, LA

Current Residence:                                Smyrna, Georgia

Height:  5'7"                                           Weight:  100 lbs

Occupation:                                           Production Manager/Advertising

Began Skiing:  29                                   Began Competing:  29

Events:  Slalom, Tricks, Jump

Division:  Womens MP3 (Multi Plegic – Level 3 – lowest level of injury, unable to stand to ski- uses a sit ski) Injured in an auto accident at age of 19

Sponsors:  

Hobbies:  Stained glass, scuba

Career Highlights

• Gold Medal as US TEAM Member at ’03 World Championships in Florida (USA)
• Individual Silver Medal for Overall ’03 Worlds (Overall is combined score of slalom, jump & trick skiing)
• Individual Gold Medal in Tricks ’03 Worlds
• Individual Gold Medal in Jump ’03 Worlds
• Set a World Record in Jump 49' (15.1 meters) at '03 Worlds
• Individual Silver Medal in Slalom '03 Worlds
• 2003 National Overall Champion
• 2003 National Slalom Champion
• 2003 National Jump Champion
• Set a World Jump Record 46' (14.0 meters) at '03 Nationals
• Set a World Jump Record 47' (14.4 meters) at '03 Nationals
• Silver Medal as US TEAM Member at ’01 World Championships in Australia
• Individual Bronze Medal for Overall ’01 Worlds (Overall is combined score of slalom, jump & trick skiing)
• Individual Silver Medal in Jump ’01 Worlds
• Individual Silver Medal in Tricks ’01 Worlds
• Silver (Overall) 2000 Nationals
• 2000 National Jump Champion
• Silver in Trick 2000 Nationals
• Bronze in Slalom 2000 Nationals
• Gold Medal as US TEAM Member at '99 World Championships in England
• 1999 National Tricks Champion
• Silver in Jump 1998 Nationals
• Bronze in Tricks 1998 Nationals
• 1997 National Jump Champion
• Bronze in Tricks 1996 Nationals
• Bronze in Jump 1996 Nationals
• Silver in Tricks 1994 Nationals
• Silver in Jump 1994 Nationals
• Bronze in Slalom 1994 Nationals

Best Performance  Jump 51'

Records

None yet!

Ski Club Affiliation

Atlanta Water Ski Club, Magic City Ski Club

Future Career Plans

To be a kid again

Most fun skiing experience

Every time I jump!

People I look up to or who have helped me

I've rolled away with joy and knowledge from every DisAbled skier I've skied with!  My ultimate thanks goes to Bill Furbish for believing in me and Mike Mosley for getting me to where I want to be!

"I was in a car accident 16 years ago that left me a paraplegic.  Since being in the chair I've had a roller coaster ride of a life but I've been able to look back at it and feel blessed for all of it." 

After being in the accident and not knowing what to do with my "new" life I decided that I needed to get back in school and try to get some stability on a career level.  The funny part is.......I'm still chasing that one!!

Within 4 years of becoming a para I became pregnant and was blessed with the BEST spirit that I could possibly ask for!  Within the past 11 years, (some of them being trying times due to unsuccessful relationships) my daughter has given me the strength to carry on! 

I'm now a single parent with an awesome kid and the two of us are going through the roller coaster ride together.  With all honesty though,  with all the highs and lows, I don't know if I would make it through them if it weren't for Briana.  She is such a strong spirit and brings the reality back into my life whenever I start getting mislead!  She always brings me back on track! (That's Briana on the left, KeNyA on the right at the Awards Banquet for the '99 Worlds, they were dancing girls!)

It always amazes me when people who meet me make comments about MY strength and all that I do with MY life, because the reality of it is I do it ALL because of my daughter.  She brings out the strength in me to do what I do because if I only do one thing in my life it will be to raise a woman that will have the strength to get through life when I'm not here anymore!!

(Briana's not just going to "get through" life - with Steph's world travels, Bri's seeing the whole world!  That's her on the left, KeNyA on the right.)

On to skiing......

Briana and I moved to Georgia from Northern California back in 1992.  When we moved here I was looking for a doctor through Shepherd Rehab and got misdirected on the phone call and ended up talking to the recreation department.  They told of a ski clinic that was happening that weekend, I signed up and never looked back! 

Up until that point I never knew that water skiing was something I could do.  I was raised in FL and CA most of my life and always around the water and this gave me the opportunity to get out of the chair and back in the water . . .  a place I've always felt "normal"! 

I met Bill Furbish at the first clinic I did through Shepherd.  He gave me the support I was needing and kept me on the water.   Bill introduced me to a few other skiers, Aric Fine and Emily Cotton and  from that point it was sorta like the 4 amigos for a few years! 

I feel very blessed for meeting Bill and looking back seeing that he was an angel sent to me!!  I'll never forget Bill pushing me to go to Regionals the first year I was skiing.  I thought he was nuts!  I had just gotten my slalom ski, didn't even know how to get up on it, and I didn't jump at that time!  Both Aric and I went that year and it's been history since! 

My heart has fallen into the jumping event....still haven't gotten the slalom thing down......and I have had the goal of being the BEST woman jumper in my division ever since meeting Anne O'Brine. I'm still on that journey of being the #1 jumper in the world, but feel that I have a chance to make the dream come true in March! 

History

Steph wasn't particularly athletic before her injury, as a matter of fact she was known as "THE KLUTZ"!

Stephany's first competition was the DisAbled Regionals, she'd received her slalom ski 2 days before the event and couldn't get up on it, she had no idea what she was doing (it's always easier when you have a teacher alongside:).  She borrowed a trick ski from Anne O'Brine and managed to perform some side slides and 180's.  Stephany's skied every DisAbled National event since (except the '95 Nationals).

Rather than ski the '95 Nationals Steph and Emily Cotton went to Bennetts Ski School in Louisiana . . . Steph had decided she wanted to JUMP.  Stephany and Emily worked with 2 time World Record Holder Sherri Slone  (an able bodied jumper) and JD Wisall. Steph's been hooked on the jump event since.

Stephany has been skiing with the Atlanta Ski Club for 3 years.  She and Aric Fine are the only skiers with disabilities - the club members do anything possible to help she and Aric get on the water.

Stephany, Aric Fine and Bill Furbish work clinics every month to teach kids to ski.  They are all three sponsored by Hitchcock Rehab.

In addition to working full time, being a single parent, and being a member of the elite US DisAbledWaterSki TEAM, TEAM, Steph also serves as Secretary of the WaterSkiers with Disabilities Association (WSDA), Chair of the National Tournament Committee, and is on the Publicity Committee.

Shining Moment