A Marine veteran is reaching for the gold, hoping to compete in the 2026 and 2030 Paralympic Games.
Annika Hutsler was forced to lose a leg to amputation after a tumor was discovered while she was at Marine boot camp several years ago.
The aggressive tumor caused her months of pain, surgeries and trauma.
“At 22 years old I said, ‘cut it off now,’” she reflected. “I am not wasting the next five to ten years wasting my life knowing this is going to happen.”
Hutsler said the decision was one of the best she has ever made.
With the tumor removed, Hutsler found freedom from medical issues and an opportunity to pursue new dreams.
“After I had my leg amputated, I had so many opportunities come to me that I never thought were possible,” she said.
One of those opportunities was alpine skiing.
Hutsler, a Colorado native, recently moved to Utah to train at the state’s world-class skiing facilities.
Skiing provides her with an unmatched feeling.
“The day I started skiing, I was like, this is amazing. I will give up everything to ski,” she said. “I can just ski all day long. The adrenaline of going fast down the mountain and feeling like you are flying.”