GRAFTON, Wis. — A Wisconsin skier is competing at the Paralympic Games in the Italian Alps — a journey that began on a small ski hill in Sussex.
Audrey Crowley, a Grafton native and Paralympic alpine skier, races at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, using a prosthetic arm for balance after being born without her left arm below the elbow. She is currently in Cortina, getting ready to compete.
"It really is that peak of ski racing for me, having that exhilaration, the jumps, the big long turns," Crowley said. "Everyone is just starting to arrive at the (Olympic and Paralympic) village," Crowley said. "We've been trading pins, eating at the dining hall together."
Crowley grew up skiing at Ausblick in Sussex, where she spent years developing her skills alongside friends and family.
Bill Bruss, board president of the Ausblick Ski Race Team, grew up skiing Ausblick with Audrey's father and watched her compete from an early age.
Watch: Grafton native ready to ski for gold at Paralympics:
"U8, U10. There were seasons where she won every single race," Bruss said. "[She had her] boot pack, her skis, her poles, starts walking, while my boys are complaining about having to lug their gear," Bruss said. "I think that says a lot about her, right? I'm just going to do this."
In middle school, the Crowley family relocated to Colorado to support Audrey's pursuit of competitive skiing. Now a high school graduate, Audrey says she has never forgotten her Ozaukee County roots.
"(The) togetherness of everyone that really just builds you up, and it creates these super kind, outgoing people," Crowley said.
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