Olympics-Freestyle-VanLaanen nets inspiration from unlikely source

By Julian Linden SOCHI, Russia, Feb 7 (Reuters) – When Angeli VanLaanen straps on her skis and catapults herself down the halfpipe, she looks just like any other freestyle skier. For more than a decade, VanLaanen lived with a mystery disease that she never knew she had but that left her with aching joints, blurred vision and a pounding headache. Finally, in 2009, she was diagnosed with Lyme Disease, a debilitating bacteria-based illness that leaves suffers constantly fatigued. In early 2011, the International Olympic Committee announced that halfpipe skiing would be added to the programme for Sochi but the Games were the last thing on VanLaanen’s mind as she battled her health problems.