# @paralympics on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CZbziIjt_tS
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/17097386-paralympics-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/5afa18ca14.jpg
- **Posted:** 2022-02-01T12:20:07.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) — https://gondola.cc/Paralympics

## Caption

Bonnie St John made history at the 1984 Paralympic Games, becoming the first ever Black American to win a medal in the Olympic or Paralympic Winter Games. 

At the Innsbruck 1984 Paralympic Games, one legged skier St John competed in the Slalom, Giant Slalom and Downhill, winning two bronze medals and a silver. 

“It’s a crazy story, it really is,” St. John said. “I’m proud that I’ve been able to use my story to motivate other people to do the impossible, to see the best in themselves no matter what and to really find their greatness, however that is, however unusual that might be.”

“I got to stand on the winner’s podium, with my mom crying and getting the medal put around my neck,” St. John said. “But the woman who won the gold in the slalom, I beat her in the first run. So when nothing went wrong, I was the fastest slalom skier. She also fell in the second run. When I thought about it later, she only beat me by getting up faster.

“I proved that I could ski slalom faster than her, but when we both fell I probably spent a split-second feeling sorry for myself, thinking I lost before I got up and got over the finish line. And that lesson has stood with me forever: People fall down, winners get up, but the gold medal winner in that case just got up a little faster. That’s been a life lesson for me.”

St John went on to speak at the Opening Ceremony of the Salt Lake City Paralympic Games and was part of teamusa’s delegation at Vancouver 2010 and Rio 2016. St John is also an accomplished motivational speaker. 

Words and 📸 credit: US Olympic and Paralympic Museum. 

#ParaAlpine #Paralympics #WinterParalympics #Innsbruck #AlpineSkiing #USOPCMuseum #SportWeek #Olympics

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## Tags

paraalpine, winterparalympics, alpineskiing, innsbruck, usopcmuseum, paralympics, olympics, sportweek

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