Debbie Armstrong

In 2007, Armstrong moved to Steamboat Springs, Colorado where she served one year as Technical Director for the Steamboat Ski Resort (Armstrong 2008, p. 36). In 2008, she became the Alpine Director at the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, a world-renowned ski club located in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, a position she held for six years. Beginning with the 2014 season, Armstrong transitioned to the U10 Head Coach position and Coach Trainer at the Sports Club.

She finished 13th in the giant slalom at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.

Dr. Hubert Armstrong, Armstrong's father, is a clinical psychologist at the University of Washington. He participated in the 1988 Winter Olympics representing the US luge team as the Sports Psychologist. His 1986, Parenting the Elite Athlete (Armstrong Jr. Ph.D., Hubert E. (February/March 1986) has gained traction as a classic sport parenting article in alpine ski racing.

After her retirement from competitive skiing following the 1988 World Cup season, Armstrong has led various humanitarian causes, including the Debbie Armstrong Say No to Alcohol and Drugs campaign; the SKIFORALL Foundation, which opens skiing events to the disabled; and Global ReLeaf Sarajevo, which seeks to reforest Sarajevo after the Bosnian war. Armstrong moved to Albuquerque, NM and attended University of New Mexico and earned an undergraduate degree (Bachelor of Science) in History.

In 1987, Armstrong placed 6th in the FIS Alpine World Championships Super-G. and became the U.S. National Giant Slalom Champion.

At the 1985 World Championships in Bormio, Italy, Armstrong placed 4th in the giant slalom.

At the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, she became the first American woman to win a gold medal in skiing since Barbara Cochran won gold 12 years earlier in 1972 at Sapporo. Taking the silver medal behind her at Jahorina was Sun Valley's Christin Cooper. Later in those games, Phil Mahre and Bill Johnson became the first American men to win Olympic gold in alpine skiing, and Steve Mahre took the silver in the men's slalom behind his twin brother. All five alpine medalists from the U.S. were from the Northwest.

She finished 2nd in the Giant Slalom at the 1983 U.S. Nationals, and placed 3rd in a World Cup Super G and 5th in a Giant Slalom in early January 1984, shortly before the next Olympic games in Sarajevo.

She made the 1982 World Championship team in Austria where she broke a leg in a downhill training run and was unable to compete.

She was the Junior National Giant Slalom Champion (Squaw Valley) in 1980. After being named to the U.S. Ski Team in 1981 she placed 14th in her first World Cup Giant Slalom in Val d'isere, France starting from bib number 68.

Debbie Armstrong developed her racing skills in the 1970s at the Alpental ski area at Snoqualmie Pass, an hour east of Seattle on I-90. The run "Debbie's Gold" and the "Armstrong's Express" high-speed quad chairlift are named for her.

Debra Rae "Debbie" Armstrong (born December 6, 1963) is a former World Cup alpine ski racer from Seattle, Washington. She was the first gold medalist from the U.S. in women's alpine skiing in 12 years, winning the giant slalom at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.