Gladys Werner Walker

Skeeter was the oldest of three siblings who were born in Steamboat Springs and grew up to become Olympians. Like brothers Buddy and Loris, Skeeter trained on Howelsen Hill and took her talent to the Alps. Their stature in American and international skiing grew to such an extent that the name of the mountain that is home to the Steamboat Ski Area was changed from Storm Mountain to Mount Werner. She was coached by the great four-way skier Gordy Wren, among others. She became the youngest member of the U.S. alpine world championship team at the age of 21 in 1954, and placed 10th in downhill at Are, Sweden. Skeeter's flashing smile became familiar to millions in 1955 when her picture was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. She came back in 1956 at the Olympics in Cortina, Italy, again placing 10th in the downhill. Retiring from her international skiing career in 1958, Skeeter moved to New York where first, she modeled, then designed fashions. Skeeter returned to Steamboat in 1962 to organize the first ski school at Storm Mountain, and opened two ski shops with Buddy and his wife, Vanda. Skeeter eloped with the 1948 Heisman Trophy winner from Southern Methodist University and Detroit Lions great, Doak Walker, in 1969. The couple always kept their home next to Soda Creek in Steamboat's Old Town. Doak died Sept. 27, 1998, eight months after he was paralyzed in a ski injury on the Rainbow trail at Mount Werner. Buddy died in a Swiss avalanche in 1964.