SALT LAKE CITY — Sydney Peterson just returned to Utah from Italy after competing in her second Paralympics, and she brought home three gold medals and a silver with her.
And now, she’s already back in the lab — quite literally — proving elite performance isn’t limited to just one field.
Not only is she a decorated Paralympic cross-country skier, but she's been working simultaneously toward her Ph.D. in neuroscience at the University of Utah.
Peterson has been skiing since she was five years old and began competing while in high school in Minnesota. She later attended St. Lawrence University, where her career took a pivotal turn.
"It was during my sophomore year that I branched out to para-skiing, and that’s when I qualified for Beijing — my first Paralympics," she said.
It was around that same time that Peterson was officially diagnosed with dystonia, a condition that affects how the brain controls muscles.
"I first developed it when I was 13, but I didn’t get a formal diagnosis until I was 19, so it was a bit of a tricky process," she said.
Peterson says skiing and academics have helped her stay balanced despite the incredible workload both require.
"I don’t think I would be as successful in school if I didn’t have skiing," she said. "I would hyper-focus on one thing and wouldn’t get as much done. But then also, I wouldn’t be as successful in skiing because I would tend to procrastinate workouts more or just maybe overthink things."
Peterson says her own journey has given her a firsthand look at the difference science can make in managing a condition like hers.
"I’ve been fortunate enough to see the benefits myself of how research has improved my medical care — an improvement in quality of life, and so hopefully that can help other people as well," she explained.
The balancing act isn’t slowing down; she’s already targeting the next Winter Games in the French Alps — along with the goal to compete in her backyard of Salt Lake City in 2034. She still has roughly four years remaining in her Ph.D., and a career path once that’s accomplished.
"I think I’d like to go into some area of clinical research, probably in an industry area," she said about her goal once she gets her degree. "I’m super fortunate that University of Utah allows for both and support me through both of those."
