About Heidi

About ME!

• Full Name: Heidi Jo Duce
• Hometown: Ouray, CO
• Age: 22
• Birthday: October 16, 1990
• Favorite Color: Lime green
• Words to live by: "I am only one but i am still one. I cannot do everything but i can still do something; and because i can not do everything i will not refuse to do something that i can do." -Edward Evert Hale

I was born and raised in the very small mountain town of Ouray in south-western Colorado. I have a the most amazing brother, sister and parents in the world. I was born with a congenital birth defect known as Fibular Hemimelia. The birth defect caused me to be born without a fibula and most of my foot and ankle bones in my right leg. I had what remained of my leg amputated when I was 18 months old and a second corrective amputation when I was 19. For me growing up as an amputee was the greatest thing that I could have ever had happen to me. Being an amputee has given me a very positive outlook on life and has presented me with countless amazing opportunities. I love it.

In the past couple years I have fallen head first into the world of outdoor rec sports. I love ice climbing, snowboarding, whitewater kayaking, backpacking, hunting and anything else that you can think of. My two greatest passions are whitewater kayaking and snowboarding.

This upcoming season will be my third season in a kayak. The sport of kayaking has changed my life. It has helped me to become a much healthier and happier person. Because of kayaking I am a much more confidant and out going individual.

This winter I will be spending my time training at Copper Mountain  Co. The National Paralympic committee has decided to add adaptive boarder-cross to the line up for the 2014 winter games. I will be training and competing with Adaptive Action Sports' Elite snowboarding team with the goal of becoming part of the first ever United States Women's Para-snowboard team.