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AP-National-Sports

Olympic skier overcomes illness to compete for Puerto Rico

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Published 6:38 AM

By DANIELLA MATAR
Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — Just making it to the starting line at the Olympics is a miraculous achievement in itself for a teenager who’s chances of survival were slim when he was born. William Flaherty will ski for Puerto Rico on Sunday in the giant slalom at the Beijing Games. Winning a medal is not really within his reach but his health and his studies are. Flaherty was born in Cincinnati and moved to Puerto Rico when he was 6. He was diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis when he was 3. It’s an often fatal disease where the immune system attacks the body’s organs.

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