Skier Steven Nyman pays tribute to uncle recovering from brain surgery

American skier Steven Nyman is skiing these Olympic Games with his mind in Provo, Utah.

His uncle, Virgil, underwent surgery there to remove a brain tumor and Nyman told the Associated Press he didn’t want his uncle to think he wasn’t thinking about him even while in Russia.

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So, Nyman used a black marker to scroll the letters “VIRG” on his left glove.

Nyman told the Associated Press he spoke to his uncle before competing downhill, a race he finished 27th.

"I just hope he'll be OK," Nyman told the AP. "I have three brothers and he's always been good to us. He loves us.

"When I called him, I said I was racing for him."

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Graham Watson

is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!Follow @YahooDrSaturday