Alcohol and drugs are the downfall for many an athlete. To stay in peak physical condition athletes absolutely have to stay away from these two lethal substances.
Professional skiers are adrenaline junkies to say the least. These people thrive on intense thrills that bring them to the edge of mortality. Jeret Peterson was one such athlete.
The 29-year-old Peterson took his own life yesterday. Having a history with alcoholism and depression, Peterson had been working hard to overcome being abused as a child. He sought and found refuge on the slopes.
Best known as a skier for patenting the “Hurricane”, Peterson brought home a Silver Medal at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. He was crying like a baby the day he took second in freestyle skiing.
Since winning the silver medal Peterson, nicknamed “Speedy,” had begun drinking again. Just last week he was cited for driving under the influence in Hailey, Idaho.
Police found his body in a remote canyon in Utah in Lambs Canyon. There was a suicide note near the body. Ironically, Peterson had witnessed a close friend commit suicide before the Winter Olympics at Turin, Italy.
Speedy’s only chance for survival was sobriety. Mixing alcohol with his history was a recipe for disaster. America has just lost one of its most colorful personalities.