U.S.A Olympic Medalist Signs Autographs At Cake Auction

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – A 2002 Olympic Silver Medalist made an appearance Wednesday night at the 33rd Annual Carr Center Cake Auction.

Lea Ann Parsley-Davenport of Granville won the silver medal in Skeleton at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.  Skeleton is a high speed, dangerous sport similar to bobsledding and luge. Racers go down head first on a sled just inches off the ice and can reach speeds of 85 miles per hour.

“The winter sport of Skeleton is a sister sport to bobsled and luge. All three sliding sports use the same track, but we all use different sleds. The object is get from the top of the mountain to the bottom as fast as you possibly can,” Parsley-Davenport said.

Parsley-Davenport added after winning silver in the 2002 Olympics, a lot of fun opportunities opened up for her, including attending the cake auction. She was back at the mall last night signing autographs, on copies of a drawing done by a local artist. She said it’s great to raise money for a good cause and teach people about the sport of skeleton.

“One of the fun things that I got to do, was come to the cake auction back in the Spring of 2002. I guess it was one of their best auctions ever. We had a great time. We were setting a record of lighting candles and just raising money for a great cause. So, I was blessed to be asked to come back this year,” said Parsley-Davenport.

Parsley-Davenport was one of eight United States athletes that held the World Trade Center Flag at the Opening Ceremonies in Salt Lake City.