Paralympian is artist, role model to kids
By: Bob Nuse
When a car accident left Elizabeth Livingston paralyzed from the waist down, she made it a point not to let her misfortune rule her life.
A Princeton High graduate, Livingston has lived in Bozeman, Mont. for the past 17 years. And since the accident in 1989, she has lived her life by a simple set of instructions.
"Try hard, laugh often, rinse and repeat," said Livingston, who graduated from PHS in 1983 as Elizabeth Barclay.
Instead of letting the accident leave her down, Livingston has made the most of a tough situation. She started competing as an alpine skier in 1997 and won her first medal at the 1999 Sportabili Invitational in Italy and the Montana Winter Games for giant slalom.
She began cross country skiing late in 2000, and in 2001 competed in the International Paralympic Nordic World Cup. By 2002, she made the United States Paralympic Team and competed at the Winter Paralympics in Salt Lake City.
"It was several years after that that I really got started," Livingston said. "I had a couple of children and they took up a lot of the free time I had. Until my two children were a little older, I did not ski that much.
"I did ski that same year that I was hurt. As soon as the doctors said it was OK, I was doing everything I could to get myself ready to ski. I was learning to ski all over again. It’s a completely different way of skiing, so I had to re-learn how to do it."
Livingston is living proof that a disability won’t keep you down if you won’t let it. She’s an artist and an athlete, one who is part of the Home Depot Olympic Job Opportunity Program. Most of all, she’s an inspiration to her children, a 9-year-old daughter and a 13-year-old son.
"I want them to see that no matter what, anything is possible," said Livingston, who has been in a wheelchair since the accident. "I want to be the best role model I can be for my children. There are similarities between what I do with my art and what I try to do as an athlete.
"As athletes, we’re creating like it’s a blank canvas and we get to set the bar and support each other. You hope that other people who are faced with challenges in their lives, they’ll realize there are places they can go and things they can do and still enjoy their lives."
Livingston is currently training for a spot in the 2006 Paralympics, which will he held in Torino, Italy. It would be her second straight appearance.
"I skied in the last Paralympics," said Livingston, who attended Parsons School of Design in New York after graduating from Princeton High. "I got myself to a national and then international caliber. I was able to maintain that and skied when the Winter Games were held in Salt Lake City in 2002."
Livingston has certainly come a long way since she first started in the sport. And now that’s she’s reached such a high level, she does what she can to help others.
"They have a great disabled athlete program here that also is run through the outdoor recreation program," Livingston said. "It was very helpful to me in getting back to skiing. They had experienced people and the right equipment. I volunteer for them now and help teach other people. I think it helps to have someone doing the teaching who is in the same situation. Those people that come out of rehab with injuries can learn to ski and have learned to ski.
"When I was trying to learn, I was being taught by someone with two legs and two skis. It’s easier to understand the frustration when you’ve been through the same thing. I think it helps the people I am trying to teach that I’ve gone through what they’re going through."
It has also helped Livingston to be a part of the Home Depot program. She has a job in the Kitchen Design department in Bozeman. And because of the program, she also has time to train along with other Olympic athletes.
"It’s an exciting thing," she said. "They support the Olympic team with the program and also the Paralympic team. There are 200 U.S. Athletes who benefit from the program. It’s awesome because no other corporation was going to pick this up. It’s not like Home Depot outbid someone. They give you a flexible schedule and pay you a full-time salary."
One thing her flexible schedule has not allowed her to do is get back to Princeton much. While her parents are still in town, the best chance to catch a glimpse of Elizabeth is through her art work.
"I usually come back to Princeton every year, although I did not last year," Livingston said. "I had an exhibit in the Princeton Medical Center art show. It was great to be a part of that show. I was invited back this year."
Her art is on display in Princeton. But Livingston’s life is going full tilt in Bozeman.
"The accident was a long time ago," she said. "You think you don’t have any options, but then you realize that you do have choices. The choice is obvious. You have to keep living your life."