Elizabeth Swaney, a triple major at Cal who graduated in 2007, participated in the freestyle ski halfpipe competition at the Winter Olympics, but that's just part of the story.
What makes her a true Cal legend is that she can't ski any better than the average seasonal skier in Tahoe. That's right, if you always wondered what it would be like for an average Joe (or average Joanne) to participate in the Olympic Games, this video below is the answer:
So how did this hero qualify for the Olympic Games in spite of, well, not being able to do any of the requisite tricks? Well, she gamed the system, picked up qualification points by going to events that nobody else went to, and applied for Hungarian nationality.
So to recap: This non-athlete finagled a way to qualify for the Olympics, showed up, "competed" by doing next to nothing and avoiding injury, and now she can call herself an Olympian forever.
If you want more details about this absolute legend, read here: https://sports.yahoo.com/bad-american-skier-games-system-make-olympics-070235305.html
Now, more than ever, Go Bears!
What makes her a true Cal legend is that she can't ski any better than the average seasonal skier in Tahoe. That's right, if you always wondered what it would be like for an average Joe (or average Joanne) to participate in the Olympic Games, this video below is the answer:
So how did this hero qualify for the Olympic Games in spite of, well, not being able to do any of the requisite tricks? Well, she gamed the system, picked up qualification points by going to events that nobody else went to, and applied for Hungarian nationality.
So to recap: This non-athlete finagled a way to qualify for the Olympics, showed up, "competed" by doing next to nothing and avoiding injury, and now she can call herself an Olympian forever.
If you want more details about this absolute legend, read here: https://sports.yahoo.com/bad-american-skier-games-system-make-olympics-070235305.html
Now, more than ever, Go Bears!
