Meritorious Service Cross

• Awarded on: May 22, 2014
• Invested on: October 03, 2014

Sarah Burke was a leading pioneer in women’s freestyle skiing and lobbied tirelessly for years to have women included in all major freestyle ski competitions. A four-time Winter X Games champion in the women’s superpipe skiing event, she was the driving force behind a successful campaign to get women’s ski half-pipe recognized as an Olympic discipline. She died tragically on January 19, 2012, following a training accident, and sadly didn’t live to see her dream realized when women’s ski half-pipe and ski slopestyle were introduced at the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, in February 2014. Ms. Burke was a role model to young athletes and continues to inspire women to believe in themselves and to follow their dreams.