Heidi Jo

Duce

Sport: Snowboarding
Event: Snowboard Cross
Height: 5-1
Weight: 128
Classification: Lower Limb Impairment
Date of Birth: Oct. 16, 1990
Birthplace: Montrose, Colo.
Hometown: Ouray, Colo.
Current Residence: Winter Park, Colo.
High School: Ouray HS (Ouray, Colo.) ‘09
College: Colorado Mesa University ‘16, Kinesiology
Coach: Miah Wheeler

Career Highlights

• 2014: Paralympic Winter Games, 5th; U.S. Paralympics Snowboard Cross National Championships, 1st; World Cup La Molina, 6th run 1, 2nd run 2; World Cup Copper Mountain, 3rd run 1, 2nd run 2, World Cup Big White, 2nd run 1, 3rd run 2
• 2013: U.S. Paralympics Snowboard Cross National Championships, 1st; World Cup Landgraaf, 3rd; World Cup Maribor, 3rd; World Cup Kelowna, 3rd; NorAm Copper Mountain, 3rd; NorAm Twin Bridges, 3rd

Personal

Growing up in Southwest Colorado, Heidi Jo Duce lived an active lifestyle and embraced adaptive sports, including snowboarding. For Duce, snowboarding was purely recreational, until she entered her first snowboard cross event in early 2013 and went on to win the National Championships the same year. As of Feb. 1, 2014, Duce was tied with teammate Amy Purdy for the No. 2 ranking in the United States and No. 2 ranking worldwide in para snowboard cross.

Duce was born with fibular hemimelia, meaning she is missing her fibula and most of the foot and ankle bones in her right leg. When Duce was 18 months old she had her leg amputated, and she had a second corrective amputation at 19 years old.

This season, Duce has been training in Copper Mountain, Colo., as part of the Elite snowboarding team for Adaptive Action Sports, the first non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to adaptive snowboarding and skateboarding. Off the slopes, Duce also competes in whitewater kayaking. She enjoys all things outdoor sports, including rock climbing, ice Climbing, mountain biking, backpacking and hunting.

Connect
Blog: http://onelegonegirlonelife.blogspot.com/p/about-heidi.html
Twitter: @HeidiJoDuce

Paralympic Experience

• 1-time Paralympian;
• Paralympic Games Sochi 2014, 5th (Snowboardcross - Standing - Women)

World Championships Experience

• Most recent: 2015 – silver (Snowboard Cross - Lower Limb 2 Impaired - Women), bronze (Banked Slalom - Lower Limb 2 Impaired - Women)
• Years of participation: Banked Slalom - Lower Limb 2 Impaired - Women 2015; Snowboard Cross - Lower Limb 2 Impaired - Women 2015
• Medals: 2 (1 silver, 1 bronze)
• Silver – 2015 (Snowboard Cross - Lower Limb 2 Impaired - Women)
• Bronze – 2015 (Banked Slalom - Lower Limb 2 Impaired - Women)