Editor’s note: In the Colorado Classics series, The Denver Post takes a weekly look at individuals who made their mark on the Colorado sports landscape and what they are doing now.
The story of Jimmie Heuga is one of genuine inspiration and immense courage, from challenging steep mountain slopes as a ski racer to taking on the crippling effects of multiple sclerosis.
Forty-two years ago – a passage of time Heuga calls “unbelievable” – he and fellow U.S. Ski Team member Billy Kidd put American male skiers on the Olympic map.
They went to the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, as relative unknowns in international competition. The men’s U.S. Ski Team had never won an Olympic medal in alpine skiing, and most expected European skiers to dominate again.
But Kidd earned the silver medal and Heuga the bronze in the slalom, and American male skiers finally could hold their heads high.
“There wasn’t any pressure on us,” Heuga said. “There were no expectations. We had no track record. But, yeah, I accomplished one of my dreams. I won an Olympic medal.”
Before the Innsbruck Games, U.S. coach Bob Beattie told his skiers they would be taking some medals home. But most observers thought it was just a coach’s wishful thinking.
Heuga and Kidd were among a talented group of U.S. skiers that also included Buddy Werner of Steamboat Springs and Bill Marolt of Aspen. Marolt now is president of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, based in Park City, Utah.
“Our program didn’t have a lot of money in those days, but we were a close group and remain friends today,” Heuga said. “We trained hard and did the best with what we had.”
There have been obstacles in Heuga’s path, but he has taken them on just as gallantly as he did the slopes. His life has changed significantly as he battles MS.
“These aren’t wonderful times for me,” Heuga said. “But life goes on. I’m surprised that I’ve handled it so well.”
His home is an assisted living facility in Louisville, far from the mountain community of Edwards in the Vail area.
“I spent 25 years in the Vail area,” Heuga said. “My parents taught me to deal with setbacks, and that’s what I’m doing. I wish I still was working, but my situation won’t allow it. I’m in a wheelchair and I haven’t stood on my legs for about seven years.”
Once in a while, a friend will drive him to the mountains to visit his ex- wife, Debbie, and sons Wilder, 16; Blaze, 14; and Winston, 11.
“My ex-wife is my guardian now,” Heuga said. “We have a good association. She does my taxes. She has my medal. She keeps it in a bank deposit box.”
Heuga had hoped to take his sons to the Turin Olympics, but the plan didn’t work out.
“I exercise every day,” Heuga said. “That gives me a sense of direction to get through the uncertainties of my life. I just tell myself that I’m getting my butt up and work out. I’ve taken a cold shower every day for the last 27 years. I don’t give up on myself.”
While in Edwards, he established the Jimmie Heuga Center, which provides health programs for people to cope with MS. The center continues to operate.
“We don’t help anyone,” Heuga said. “We show them how they can help themselves. We give them a road map, but they have to do the driving and develop their own goals.”
Kidd and Heuga have remained close.
“To win an Olympic medal is outstanding, but to win a medal along with a teammate when nobody expected either of us to win is unforgettable,” Kidd said. “It has kept Jimmie and I together for years. Now having seen Jimmie go through the challenges of MS, he’s even more of a hero to me and an inspiration for all of us.”
Heuga, 62, and Kidd talk frequently.
“We talk several times a week,” Heuga said. “I talk with Bill Marolt, but not as frequently.”
Marolt remembered that Heuga started the 1964 Olympic slalom race in the 24th position, a starting point not conducive to winning.
“To overcome a 24th starting position and win a medal tells about his competitive spirit,” Marolt said.
Heuga and Marolt were roommates when they were at the University of Colorado. They met when Heuga was 13.
“We competed together at the junior level, the national level and the international level,” Marolt said. “He has been a lifelong friend. What he has done since the time he was diagnosed with MS tells the real story about him. He’s a fighter, but he has maintained his sense of humor.”
Heuga follows the U.S. Ski Team and marvels at the depth of its world-class skiers. He has high expectations for American skiers at the Turin Games.
“You bet, they’re going to win some medals,” Heuga said.
Irv Moss can be reached at 303-820-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
