Fabienne SUTER

A long recovery from what could have been a life-changing injury during the start of her World Cup career did little to slow down now high-flying Fabienne Suter. Hailing from a town called Sattel (population roughly 1,700), the Swiss 25-year-old has two strong legs these days and has seriously etched her place on the World Cup map over the last two seasons.

A fractured shin sustained in 2003 while training in Argentina sidelined Suter for nearly three years, significantly delaying her grand entrance into the ranks of the world's top skiers. Suter claims to have gained a significant amount of perspective during her time of injury and hardship however, and her tide of fortune finally began to change during the 2006-07 when she began earning World Cup points in giant slalom and super G. Then she truly found her stride the following year. Suter established herself as a solid force in super G in 2008, landing her first World Cup wins in Bormio and Sestriere and propelling her into the 2009 season with real momentum.

Not only did the Stockli skier begin last season with podiums in SG and super-combined in Lake Louise and St. Moritz, she also notched her first downhill win in Bansko and became one of very few Cup skiers in history to land on the podium in three consecutive races throughout the weekend - finishing the second downhill race in Bansko on the third step of the podium and finishing the ensuing super G race in second place.

She wrapped up the 2009 season seventh overall in the World Cup standings with a career best 5th place in giant slalom at Cup finals in Are. She also finished third in SG standings, sixth in super-combined and eighth in downhill.

The oldest of four sisters and a soccer and volleyball fan, Suter values family and friends above all other things in life, though her favorite meal is Cordon bleu with fries and her favorite beverage is Switzerland's own soft drink - Rivella (made from milk whey). She adores Scottish singer/songwriter Amy MacDonald and lives by the mantra that if you want to fly, you have to leave what's pulling you down behind you. Just follow her example ...