An athlete for as long as she can remember, Ricci Kilgore attended Idaho State University on a full scholarship for track & field as a pole vaulter. However, two weeks before Olympic Trials, she was in a car accident that left her paralyzed below the waist. The tragedy took away her ability to walk as well as her dreams of competing in the Summer Olympics.

Kilgore got her first taste of skiing at Mt. Rose Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe, Nev. before realizing the sport was a new route to fulfill her Olympic dream. Kilgore served as a ski instructor for five years at the resort she now credits for introducing her to the sport.

When not skiing, you can find Kilgore fire dancing, rock climbing, kayaking, doing rodeos and hunting. Kilgore and her husband Daniel Ailes, who serves in the U.S. Navy, are parents to daughter RicciJo. Kilgore says her husband has been a huge supporter of her dreams since the two met in 2006 and also credits her sponsor Sports Authority for helping make her dreams become a reality.

Major Achievements

2010: Sixth place, giant slalom – Paralympic Games, Vancouver, Canada
2010: Second place super G- La Molina, Spain
2010: Two, second places downhill-Kimberly, Canada
2008: Named to U.S. Paralympics Alpine Skiing National Team
2008: Third place, Super Combined and fifth pace, Giant Slalom – World Cup, Korea
2008: US National Champion in downhill, super G and giant slalom- Solider Mountain, Idaho

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Hometown

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