Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke dies at age 29

[MelBridgeman]

Great news that they have enough money to cover the costs. I am wondering why her Family would be responsible for the bills though. I could see maybe the husband being responsible. Does any one know the rules around this? I would figure her estate would have to pay whatever it could.

[ken0042]

Just a guess- maybe the parents were the first ones to the hospital. Dad starts signing forms and stuff; which makes him responsible.

Heck, if it was my adult kid; I would probably be saying something like "Do whatever you can to save my little girl."

[BlackArcher101]

I participate in a high-risk sport (not snow sports) and perhaps can touch on this. My personal insurance is null and void when partaking in the sport activity, so if anything happens to me, they shrug responsibility other than the transport of my body. The events have to have their own insurance, especially if they are taking place on government or private land. In that case, the insurance coverage is very limited, usually to cover damages and liability to property and public in case anything happens. Personal coverage is minimal at best. 3rd party insurance can be purchased, but the cost is so high that it makes the sport too expensive to participate in. It's a matter of risk and what you are willing to do to have fun in your life. As long as you compete at a level which matches your abilities, the risk will be minimized. However, accidents still happen and sometimes, you just don't have any control over that, which is why insurance is such a PITA.

I feel for the Burke family. No one deserves to see their children pass away this young, especially ones with such potential remaining in their lives. This has me second guessing what I do now. Before this, I already had the rule that events in the USA were off limits due to lack of insurance. I hope a few positive changes come of this.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by Locke

Ah. Well, there you go, no outrage required.

Just don't read online comments on sites like the Sun. "My husband died and no one gave ME money to pay for the bills. She only got money because she's good looking!"

I want punch the person who made that comment in the face.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

Just don't read online comments on sites like the Sun. "My husband died and no one gave ME money to pay for the bills. She only got money because she's good looking!"

I want punch the person who made that comment in the face.

While that is a stupid comment it does have some truth to it.

I'm sure there are dozens upon dozens, if not hundreds, of Canadians a year that get injured in the US and end up paying for outrageous medical bills.

If everyone of them sent out a plea for money the typical CP response would likely be "Idiots, should have had their own insurance or stayed home".


I would personally be extremely disappointed if our government ever game $$ to someone in Sarah's situation, unless they are going to do it for everyone, in every situation.


I also understand why regular citizens want to donate for Sarah's family. Most of it is because she's somewhat famous, and part of that is because she's good looking. I don't think it is wrong that people are willing to help out, but I think it is sad that other "regular" people wouldn't get one iota of support from the general public if they were in a similar situation.

[grizz29]

Any word from her sponsors? Not that I would ever be caught dead driving a Jeep or drinking a Monster Energy drink, but wondering if they are, at all, contributing anything towards her outstanding hospital bills, etc?

[ken0042]

As soon as we learned about the accident, we offered uninterrupted support to Sarah and her family. Without hesitation, we will continue to support Sarah’s family, are working directly with them to assess their needs and are committed to helping them financially.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

I also understand why regular citizens want to donate for Sarah's family. Most of it is because she's somewhat famous, and part of that is because she's good looking. I don't think it is wrong that people are willing to help out, but I think it is sad that other "regular" people wouldn't get one iota of support from the general public if they were in a similar situation.

Maybe I'm not being honest enough with myself, but don't you think most donated because of her work for the sport and for women in sport in general?

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

Maybe I'm not being honest enough with myself, but don't you think most donated because of her work for the sport and for women in sport in general?

Sort of.

I think she got he donations (in order of importance) because:

1. She's an athlete and is famous (an amateur/Olympic athlete no less)
2. It was a tragic story (husband, Olympic hopeful, nice girl)
3. She was a pioneer and one of the best in her sport
4. She's beautiful

In the long run her looks probably led to 1) happening and her appearing in Maxim etc and 1) in turn led to the donations. So it isn't like she got the donations because she's hot, at least not directly.

Being famous is the most important part here. If this is Joe Blow the IT guy from Red Deer who was on vacation and this happened it may have not even made the news, let alone a huge campaign. Everything else just led to it being a big a deal as it was, but that's the reason anyone paid attention in the first place.

[bossy22]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

your outrage is always required

Originally Posted by Mazrim

Maybe I'm not being honest enough with myself, but don't you think most donated because of her work for the sport and for women in sport in general?

This is exactly why I donated. She accomplished so much and in turn got more women into sport. I'm a huge believer in the importance of sport and will always support our athletes, male or female.

[freedogger]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Sort of.

I think she got he donations (in order of importance) because:

1. She's an athlete and is famous (an amateur/Olympic athlete no less)
2. It was a tragic story (husband, Olympic hopeful, nice girl)
3. She was a pioneer and one of the best in her sport
4. She's beautiful

In the long run her looks probably led to 1) happening and her appearing in Maxim etc and 1) in turn led to the donations. So it isn't like she got the donations because she's hot, at least not directly.

Being famous is the most important part here. If this is Joe Blow the IT guy from Red Deer who was on vacation and this happened it may have not even made the news, let alone a huge campaign. Everything else just led to it being a big a deal as it was, but that's the reason anyone paid attention in the first place.

First girl to land a 1080 in competition, not all pretty girls can do that.

[Drake]

The X Games tribute to Sarah Burke will air at 8 p.m. PT tonight on TSN, main network.

https://twitter.com/#!/EricMacKenzie...10414348283904

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by freedogger

First girl to land a 1080 in competition, not all pretty girls can do that.

Go on...

[nickerjones]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

While that is a stupid comment it does have some truth to it.

I'm sure there are dozens upon dozens, if not hundreds, of Canadians a year that get injured in the US and end up paying for outrageous medical bills.

If everyone of them sent out a plea for money the typical CP response would likely be "Idiots, should have had their own insurance or stayed home".

Americans have to pay it as well. I lost my wife in an auto accident and was on the hook for some 300k in medical bills. I had to file bankruptcy because I was 24/25 and didnt have 300k to pay. There is a weird law in Oklahoma that if a husband dies the bills go with him. If the wife dies the husband is on the hook. The lady that hit us had no insurance . I got uninsured motorist and offered it to the hospital/doctors and they said " we will take it but you still owe the rest."

Crappy thing is ... Im 5 or 6 years after the bankruptcy was discharged. I tried to get a mortgage . Thats the one thing keeping me from getting one. ####ty that not only did i have to lose a wife due to the irresponsibility of another. Its also affecting me years and years after the accident took place.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by nickerjones

Americans have to pay it as well. I lost my wife in an auto accident and was on the hook for some 300k in medical bills. I had to file bankruptcy because I was 24/25 and didnt have 300k to pay. There is a weird law in Oklahoma that if a husband dies the bills go with him. If the wife dies the husband is on the hook. The lady that hit us had no insurance . I got uninsured motorist and offered it to the hospital/doctors and they said " we will take it but you still owe the rest."

Crappy thing is ... Im 5 or 6 years after the bankruptcy was discharged. I tried to get a mortgage . Thats the one thing keeping me from getting one. ####ty that not only did i have to lose a wife due to the irresponsibility of another. Its also affecting me years and years after the accident took place.

Wow, that is a tough hand to be dealt especially at such a young age. I'm sorry to hear about that.

[nickerjones]

Well that's not why i wrote it ... I was just pointing out that she didnt incur the huge bills just because she was from Canada. I forgot to add that I also had health insurance that paid out so it wasn't like the hospitals got nothing from me .
I do wish I was really good enough at something ( and beautiful) so I could have gotten these Dr bills paid tho

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by AR_Six

This has been an incredibly sad day for everyone who knew Sarah. The thing that isn't obvious to the general public is that even though this is getting attention because she was a gold medal hopeful, it's a much bigger loss than a great skier. And don't get me wrong, she was - this has become a bit of a young person's game, you're over the hill by 26 and some new 19 year old is taking things to the next level, but at 29 she was still winning everything. Being at the forefront for so long, she got a lot of girls interested in freeskiing, and skiing generally. Whoever does end up winning women's gold in Sochi has Sarah to thank for it. But that just doesn't do justice to who she was.

Sarah was one of those rare people who everyone loved, you couldn't help it. Talking to kids who she'd coached on the glacier in Whistler it was like when they would learn something new she would be just as excited as they were. There's something cosmically unfair about losing a person like her to what was a freak accident - the fall that led to her death was one that plenty of us have taken before, myself included. Knowing she's not going to be around to see something she was so integral to, her sport getting onto the biggest stage possible, is a very hard thing to take.

Well.....i have to believe that the just now finished x games did her tremendous justice....as much as any single event could.

I hope those athelets party their faces off in tribute tonight, because they did her proud this week. In particular the Canadian contingent...they wre flat out awesome at the single most difficult time of their lives to be so.

RIP Sarah....and smile that smile after this performance by your peers.