At 5-foot-9, 150 pounds, Kris Thorsness was tiny by rowing standards, but the Anchorage woman was strong, fit and hard-working. Her victory in women’s 8 rowing at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics made her the first Alaskan to win an Olympic medal. “If you can tap into what’s there, the possibilities can amaze you. I’m certainly living proof of that,” Thorsness said.
Kris Thorsness Becomes Alaska’s first Olympic Medalist in 1984
