Stephani Victor: Paralympc Gold Medalist, World Champion, and Overall World Cup Champion.

Stephani Victor was born in Ames, Iowa and raised in Sewickley, Pennsylvania where she dreamed of becoming an actress and a filmmaker. She was on her way to realizing that dream after she graduated with honors from the University of Southern California's highly competitive film school.

Shortly after graduation on December 19, 1995, Stephani was the victim of a devastating accident. She was hit by an out of control vehicle that came up into the driveway crushing her into a parked car. In an emergent effort to save her life, doctors had to amputate both of her legs. Stephani’s will to live was astonishing and she was determined to overcome this unthinkable, catastrophic experience. While in intensive care, this actress/film director had a dream of making a documentary film about her recovery. Suddenly her life’s worst tragedy became the backdrop for her most important film, “The Lengths I Will Go.”

Over the next three years she endured eleven re-constructive surgeries, countless prosthetic fittings and physical therapy. The story of Stephani's triumphant rehabilitation and her drive to make a documentary film in the process was highlighted on the acclaimed television show ABC’s 20/20.

Stephani utilized her experience as an actress to motivate audiences through public speaking. She returned to the screen in the TV movie "Target Earth.” E! Entertainment went on location with Stephani to cover her return to acting. She has also appeared on the hit daytime show The View, Northwest Afternoon, and the Leeza Gibbons show, among others.

In 1999, Stephani tried alpine skiing for the first time since her accident. Marcel Kuonen, former racer for the Swiss National Team, immediately saw in her the kind of athlete capable of winning Paralympic gold. She trained diligently with two outcomes in mind: the perfect ending for her documentary film and a gold medal victory to commemorate an experience of a lifetime. Stephani's ski racing career became just as colorful as her filmmaking career. In 2000, she won her first U.S. National title in Slalom. The next season she won the Overall Canadian National Title. She also made time to guest star in the movie "Above Suspicion" on USA Network. Stephani was the first disabled athlete to be featured on ESPN's "The Life.”

The 2002 season began with Stephani winning her first World Cup race in France. In eight of 11 World Cup races, Stephani finished in the top three. This insured her spot on the US Paralympic team. In her new hometown of Park City, she had the distinct honor to carry the Olympic torch, and went on to win the Bronze medal in the Downhill at the 2002 Paralympics.

In 2003 and 2004 she won every World Cup Slalom race. In 2003 she also won the Overall European Cup title. Stephani was a featured guest on the hit television show; “Best Dammed Sports Show Period” with Tom Arnold and Chris Rose highlighting her athletic accomplishments. At the 2004 World Championships, she won the Bronze in the Downhill, the Silver in Super G and Gold in Slalom. At the season’s close she won the Overall World Cup title in Slalom. For the last 6 years annually Stephani has guest starred alongside other Olympic Team legends in the CBS television show “The Merrill Lynch Celebrity Ski Classic” for her home ski area Deer Valley.

Her skiing career rose to a dramatic climax in 2006 at Paralympic Games in Torino, Italy where she came back after a horrific crash in the Downhill to win the much sought after Gold medal in the Slalom. She finally had the ending to her documentary film, which is currently in post-production. Her season ended with another outstanding victory when she won her second Overall World Cup title in Slalom.

Just when things could not get better Stephani had the World Cup performance of her career. In 2007 she won all three globes, the Combined Overall World Cup Globe, the most coveted trophy in alpine world cup and her third Overall World Cup Slalom Globe followed by her first Overall World Cup Globe in Giant Slalom. She added two more US National titles to her repertoire in Giant Slalom and Slalom along with the best Overall Nor Am Cup performance at the Huntsman Cup and Winter Park Open.

Throughout her career, Stephani has received numerous awards including Ski Racing Magazine’s Disabled Athlete of the Year, Sport’s Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd”, Competitor Magazine’s Challenge Award for the Athlete of the Year, AFMLA’s Salute to Champions Award and the USSA Chairman’s Special Recognition Award for Olympic/Paralympic Champions, among others. In 2007 Stephani was nominated for the Academy Award equivalent in sports, an ESPY award, in the Best Female Athlete with a Disability category. General John A. Weida made Stephani an honorary Wing Commander of Hill Air Force Base after her moving presentation to over 3,000 airmen and women that resulted in the longest period of no reported DUI incidents. Senator Orin Hatch has regularly invited Stephani to speak at his Annual Women’s Conference focusing on specific issues women face.

To date Stephani is the reigning Paralympic Gold Medalist, World Champion, 2007 Overall World Cup Champion (Combined), 3-time Overall World Cup Champion in Slalom, Overall World Cup Champion in Giant Slalom and 8-time US National Champion with 14 career World Cup victories and is still going strong. Whether Stephani is speaking to corporations, inner city schools or racing down the slopes, those around her realize Stephani Victor possesses the rarest of gifts: the ability to positively inspire, motivate and lead. And perhaps change a few lives along the way.