Beth Coats

Beth Coats has had an active life in many sports. She competed in the Winter Olympics twice in biathlon, and in seven World Championships. She then turned to mountain biking, riding as a professional, and in 1997 earned a second-place national ranking. She placed 17th at the 1996 World Championships and was 16th in 1997. At the same time Coats became a mountain climber, and in only three years, had moved up to difficult climbs such as 5.11 on gear and 5.12 with bolts. In March 1998, she was climbing in Eldorado Canyon State Park when she fell, sustaining a severe spinal cord injury which required surgery, and became paralyzed from the waist down. Despite this tragedy, this remarkable woman and Olympian returned to climbing, ascending El Capitan in Yosemite, and to bike racing using a hand bike.