Skier marks 60th anniversary as an Olympian, stays active on the slopes
By Lindsay Weber
Click here for updates on this story
SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — Sacramento native Starr Walton Hurley came from a skiing family and had skis on her feet since she was three years old.
In 1960, she took on the role of a torch bearer in the eighth Winter Games in Squaw Valley, California.
“I think Snoop Dogg said it best this year at the Olympics. When you hold the torch, you’re a peace messenger. That’s why we’re here — for peace, love, unity and great sportsmanship,” Walton Hurley told KCRA 3.
That passion for the sport culminated in a trip to the Innsbruck Olympic Games in 1964, where she competed in alpine skiing.
“It’s very humbling when you realize you’re representing your great country, the United States,” she said.
She said the delegation only included 18 women at the time.
“We’ve come a long way, baby,” Walton Hurley said.
Since her Olympic experience, she has still been very active in the sport and connected to the Winter Games.
“The good news is I’m still skiing,” she said.
Walton Hurley carried the Olympic torch at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City and then again in 2010 in Squaw Valley for the 50-year Olympic celebration.
She traveled to Sochi in 2014 to mark her 50th anniversary as an Olympian.
Walton Hurley remains an active volunteer with the Northern California Olympians, along with several other organizations in the Sacramento region.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
