Statue unveiled of Muffy Davis, NAC athlete, in her hometown of Sun Valley

Statue of retired athlete from the National Ability Center Muffy Davis (foreground) in Sun Valley, Idaho. Photo: Benjamin Victor (Facebook)

Davis was an able-bodied ski racer when she crashed on course and was brought to the local emergency room where her father worked as a physician

SUN VALLEY, Idaho — Muffy Davis was an athlete at the National Ability Center in Park City in the ’90s and early 2000s, where she trained, competed, mentored, volunteered, and even met her husband. On Oct. 4, supported by the Idaho Women’s Athletic Foundation, a statue of her was unveiled at a celebration gathering that she proudly attended.

Of her seven Paralympic medals earned in summer para cycling and winter para alpine skiing, three are gold. 

“So immensely honored to have this incredibly talented sculptor, Benjamin Victor, make a bronze sculpture of me,” Davis wrote on Facebook. “He is an absolute perfectionist and nailed it with this bronze! Thank you to all the generous donors who made this possible. May it inspire the next generation to be their best!” 

In 2017, Davis was elected to the International Paralympic Committee Governing Board. She was voted in by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee for her leadership and professional skills.

She spent time on the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Advisory Committee, the UCI Para Cycling Commission, the IPC Women in Sports Commission and Higher Ground’s board of directors.

Davis grew up in Idaho, and she served as a Blaine County Commissioner and an Idaho State Representative. She was an able-bodied ski racer when she crashed on course and was brought to the local emergency room where her father worked as a physician. The ski accident resulted in her becoming a paraplegic.

She’s flown to developing countries, in Southeast Asia and Africa, to share skills with persons with disabilities about adaptive sports. In 2002, she became the first paraplegic athlete to summit a 14,000 foot mountain, and has ascended Colorado’s Pikes Peak twice.

Davis graduated from Stanford University in 1995 specializing in disability studies. 

In 2010, Davis was elected into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. She has a ski run named after her in Colorado.