OT: Olde Coach would be so Proud

[msf22b]

Mikaela won her 87th International race
and now holds the record for most wins of all time
passing Ingmar Stenmark
(who admitted that she was much better than him...and cheered her on)

The sports and entertainment world erupted
And up there somewhere, Olde Coach is beeming

 

[msf22b]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2023/03/11/mikaela-shiffrin-ingemar-stenmark-record/

Check out the vid tributes

 

[HuskyNan]

There are numerous ski academies in the United States, but Burke was the first of its kind in this country when Warren Witherell [aka Olde Coach] founded it near the base of Burke Mountain Resort in 1970 with a single student, Martha Coughlin, who was looking for a way to train full time.

The academy’s alumni now include 36 Olympians. Diann Roffe won a gold medal in the giant slalom at the 1985 world championships when she was still enrolled at the academy and went on to win gold in the super-G at the 1994 Winter Olympics.

At Shiffrin’s Alma Mater, Future Ski Champions for $58,000 a Year (Published 2019)

The rarefied world of Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont has long produced many of the world’s top skiers, including Mikaela Shiffrin.

www.nytimes.com

Warren was an accomplished and incredibly interesting man. RIP, Olde Coach.

WARREN WITHERELL Obituary (2014) - Middlebury, VT - The Burlington Free Press

View WARREN WITHERELL's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.

www.legacy.com

 

[msf22b]

I met Warren through the boneyard and his interest in UConn BB, traveled down to his house near Middlebury and had two lovely lunches with him.

He autographed his two books which revolutionized ski instruction in the US and got me started on his approach..."How the racers ski."

He was proudest of being in not one but two Hall of Fames...ski and waterski

He outlined strenuous plans for the following months but sadly, had a bad stroke and didn't make it out of rehab.

Ironically, our winter quarters in St Johnsbury are a stones throw from Burke Mt and the Academy which he founded, which became our go to area. and we watched with interest a talented young woman tear up the slopes and work relentlessly. Mikaela, of course.

And let's not forget Warren's wonderful insights into the Husky woman and his thoughtful analysis of Geno, the games and the team.

The expression " sorely missed" may be over applied, but in this case is more than appropriate.