This is Sarah Burke, four times winter x games freestyle skiing champion. She died yesterday from injuries she sustained after crashing during a training run. She was 29.
Click to see full-size image. |

Click to see full-size image. |

Click to see full-size image. |

It made me wonder how young ladies become involved in such a dangerous sport in the first place, and that in turn lead me to thinking about other dangerous sports. Boxing, motor racing, mountaineering etc.
I remember listening to an interview with Chris Bonington. He said that climbing had taken him all over the world and given him a wonderful life. He said he understood the risks and fully accepted them, and I believed him.
Now this is where it gets a bit crazy, (Which is OK because it was all happening in the privacy of my own head) but if you could travel the world doing what you wanted to do. (playing poker for instance) and earn a lot of money/fame/ trophies/WE in the process, how much risk would you accept for the privilege?
One in a thousand each time you compete? That means you have 1000 little white tablets to choose from. 999 are safe, one contains a lethal dose of cyanide.
Would you risk more than than, say one in 500, or would it have to be much more?
Sounds stupid I know, but aren't these the kind of choices that high-risk sportsmen and women are making all the time?