Paralympian skiers take flight
For some of the competitors, the medals they are pursuing on the snow in Cable, Wisconsin, may seem like small tokens compared to the Purple Hearts and Bronze Stars they’ve already earned on the battlefield.
They, and all the other competitors arriving in Wisconsin, proved their drive, courage and perseverance long before they entered the International Paralympic Committee Nordic Skiing World Championships, that took place on the trails of Telemark Resort.
More than 200 raced in cross-country events, with sit-skis or other adaptive devices, or with guides helping those with visual impairments.
The athletes included Dan Cnossen, a Navy SEAL who lost his legs in Afghanistan; Andy Soule, a fellow soldier hit by an improvised explosive device in the same country; and Oksana Masters, whose legs were damaged in utero by radiation that spewed from the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the Ukraine.
Their participation in the IPC World Cup events in Cable in 2012 and 2013 inspired hundreds of spectators and motivated the 300 volunteers who worked to provide a venue for these athletes in the World Championships.
“If you watch the event and you see what is possible after a twist of fate, a bad accident or bad luck of the draw, you see how people can adapt their life and move ahead,” said Gerald Hansen, a director of operations for the IPC Championships. “They never say ‘why me?’ or ‘what if?’ They just keep moving on. And every one of them has a story that will break your heart.”
Hansen has been a part of the team that brought the IPC World Cup events to the Telemark Resort and devoted thousands of hours to help the athletes compete again on a stage similar to the Olympics.
The group built new structures for the biathlon range and the start-finish areas, carved new trails to accommodate the IPC athletes and installed flag poles where the banners of 20 nations will fly.
“The workload really is beyond overwhelming,” said James Bolen, director of the Cable Chamber Area Chamber of Commerce and an event coordinator. “There’s also a lot of excitement.
This marked the third time the U.S. has hosted the IPC Nordic World Championships, and the first time in Wisconsin. The games returned Telemark to a place of prominence in the Nordic world, nearly 40 years after it hosted World Cup competitions. Roughly 180 athletes are expected to compete.
“It’s incredible, the event and the historic nature of it, and there’s unbelievable work going into it,” Bolen said. “This is a moment in time that will stand on a national, historic scale.”
Yuriy Gusev, the executive and athletic director of the Central Cross Country Ski Association, also witnessed the impressive skill displayed in the earlier IPC World Cup races. CXC has been one of the leaders in organizing the competition and securing its place in northern Wisconsin.
“Most people don’t realize the level of athleticism they have,” Gusev said. “In many cases, it’s as exciting as, or more exciting, than watching the able-bodied ski racing.
“They go fast on the flat and uphill, on a sit-ski, and going downhill is almost like car racing in a sprint,” he said. “There’s bumping and falling and getting back up. If you watch them in person, it’s incredible.”
The World Championships opened on January 23 and the competition ended February 1. For more details, go to www.paralympic.org/cable-2015/about.
Tom Held lives in Milwaukee and writes The Active Pursuit blog for silentsports.net.