The Olympic skier who wanted to die

Jeret “Speedy” Peterson is lucky to be alive, says Aimee Berg in Men’s Journal. Next month, the 28-year-old aerial skier will compete in his third Winter Olympics, in Vancouver. It’s a milestone he never thought he’d reach. “Things have been going wrong for me,” he says, “since the day I was born.” Growing up in Boise, Idaho, Peterson was diagnosed with depression that medication didn’t lift. Though he won virtually every prize short of an Olympic medal, his black moods often undermined his performance. Then, in 2005, he saw his roommate commit suicide. “I looked him straight in the eyes, he looked me square in the eyes—then pulled the trigger. Didn’t say a word.” That sent Peterson into a tailspin of drinking, gambling, and, two years later, a suicide attempt of his own. Even his girlfriend’s tears couldn’t dissuade him. “I felt nothing. There was no difference between telling her I was going to kill myself and ordering dinner at a drive-through.” But just as he was about to asphyxiate himself in his Ford F-350 diesel, the police stopped him. It was a wake-up call: Within 14 months Peterson had quit drinking and gotten back in shape. “I’ve never felt happier. The last year has been a huge breakthrough. I don’t do things that make me feel guilty now. I’m not out of the woods, but I’m so close.”

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up