KARINE RUBY, DEATH OF A CHAMPION!

She was a former Olympic snowboarding champion who won the 1998 Nagano-Japan Olympics gold medal in the giant slalom. She also won a silver medal in the parallel giant slalom at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games in the United State of America. She was also a six-time world champion with 65 snowboard World Cup victories. She is no more; her youthful young life claimed in a mountain-climbing fall accident on Friday, May 29, 2009. Karine Ruby was just 31 years old!

Karine retired from competitive snowboarding after the 2006 Turin Olympics. She took interest in mountain climbing and was training to become a mountain guide, when she fell to her death on Mont Blanc in Chamonix France.

According to the account, the former Olympic snowboarding champion now turned mountain climbing enthusiast, was roped to other climbers when she and some members of her group fell into a deep crack in the glacier on the way down the mountain. She died following impact alongside one other 38-year-old man from Paris region; while a third victim, a 27-year-old man was evacuated by helicopter with serious injuries and is now hospitalized.

Regrettably Ruby was about completing her training as a mountain guide and was due to qualify as one, just in a few weeks before her life was cut short by the tragic accident. She will be remembered by her family, friends and well-wishers as the Frenchwoman snowboarder who won several honors doing what she loved best. Happily enough, Karine died also doing what she loved to do, tackling and enjoying nature at the same time. Icheoku says, may her soul find rest in whatever is out there, including God? Adieu Karine Ruby!