"Sydney Peterson began cross-country skiing at age 5. She has a neurological condition known as dystonia that causes involuntary muscle contractions in her left arm and leg, so typically, she skis with only one pole. With a custom left ankle brace and a ski pole in her right hand, she glides across the snow evenly, side to side."
"When she was 13, just beginning to experience symptoms, skiing became her physical therapy. Peterson credits her friends and team with helping her cope as her symptoms got much worse in college. Over time, the muscle contractions forced her left hand and ankle into fixed positions, but she still had all her teammates and college coach."
"Now at 23, working on her Ph.D. in neuroscience, on a typical day, Peterson toggles between two communities - on the slopes and in the lab. After her first workout of the day, she heads to the University of Utah to check on experiments she's running in a rare disease lab."
Sydney Peterson is a U.S. cross-country skier competing in the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Italy. She has dystonia, a neurological condition causing involuntary muscle contractions in her left arm and leg, which she manages by skiing with one pole and a custom ankle brace. Peterson began skiing at age 5 and discovered the sport as physical therapy when symptoms emerged at 13. Her condition worsened in college, forcing her left hand and ankle into fixed positions, but her teammates and coach provided crucial support. Now 23, Peterson balances elite athletic competition with doctoral research in neuroscience at the University of Utah, studying movement disorders similar to her own condition.
Read at www.npr.org
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