Disabled skiers inspire

Athletes from the United States, Canada, France, Argentina, Norway, Finland, Germany, Russia, Japan, Austria, Italy, Sweden and Poland all arrived exhausted and famished at Telemark Lodge near Cable, Wisconsin, early in the week of January 22. As with any new international undertaking, unforeseen unique challenges were encountered yet all were overcome. Inconveniences began with an airline's loss of all the Russian biathlon rifles and skis for a day or so. A bus full of athletes broke down en route to Telemark from Minneapolis, another bus got lost, and Austria and Germany's flights were delayed a day.

The morning after the athletes arrived, Telemark employees discovered a water pump in need of repair. And athletes from 13 countries required dozens of forgotten European electric adapters to be shipped to them overnight to get their wax irons, computers and more to functioning properly.

These were minor hiccups for the second of three stops for the 2012 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Nordic Skiing World Cup - one of the most inspiring and memorable events in my life.

I had the privilege to work with the outstanding official timing team of Per Starheim and Tor Undheim, who were imported for the event from Norway, along with John Burke of Wausau's Superior Performance Timing. More than that, I was encouraged and impressed by all the talented athletes who had overcome physical or visual challenges to become world-class Nordic skiers and biathletes.

The impeccable groomers of the magnificent Birkie Trail awoke on Wednesday morning to some questioning whether they had prepped the course the night before. It was soon discovered that the classic track they'd set to perfection the previous evening had been destroyed by snowmobilers. Some of us considered sending some crack-shot biathletes into the woods the following evening with paintball rifles to surprise and dissuade any other motorized trail vandals.

Upon completion of the four events at Telemark, I was asked to follow the athletes to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to help with timing for the final two World Cup events on man-made snow at Theodore Wirth Park.

Telemark accessibility & updates

IPC Technical Delegate Len Apedaile, of Vancouver Island, Washington, said his biggest challenge was teaching local organizers how to put on an IPC event. Apedaile said that in his experiences with numerous IPC World Cups and other events, the biggest rewards come from leading a team that make it possible for disabled but no less talented athletes compete at the highest levels.

James Bolen, executive director of the Cable area Chamber of Commerce, and Yuriy Gusev, athletic director for the Central Cross-Country Ski Association (CXC) were instrumental in bringing the event to the U.S. for the first time in seven years.

Bolen said that as soon as the new owner of Telemark closed on the sale last June, the ball began rolling to bring the IPC World Cup to Cable. The Wisconsin Department of Tourism covered the $2,100 bidding fee. Members of the U.S. Olympic Committee inspected the property as Gusev propelled himself around in a wheelchair to impress on them the accessibility of the lodge.

The USOC committee was impressed with the trail access being immediately outside the door of the lodge and on more than one level of the building. Steve Kaufmann of Telemark Partners, which purchased the lodge after it was shuttered for a year, said he only had to have a few access ramps built to connect the trails to the hotel. Since the purchase, Kaufmann said he has purchased all new mattresses and box springs, added WIFI, opened a coffee shop, remodeled and refurnished many of the rooms and made cosmetic changes by painting the walls. He said he spent $60,000 alone updating and lobby and fixing the signature fireplace that greets arriving skiers.

Construction of the paralympic venue included a biathlon wall, which is hoped will draw other biathlon events to Telemark. The prestige of hosting an Olympic-level event alone brought worldwide media exposure to the Cable area.

Scott Wilson of the Cable area oversaw the grooming. He said the sit ski events required a trail with less climbing and minimal camber that might cause the skiers to tip over. Courses for the visually impaired skiers needed to be closely monitored to ensure the athletes' safety.

John Brown, a military and adaptive program manager for the National Guard in Madison, Wisconsin, and a biathlete, was a natural recruit. He visits U.S. Veterans Administration hospitals, wounded warriors, paralympic sports clubs and trains disabled Nordic skiers and biathletes. Brown said his favorite part of the whole experience was getting to know the athletes and the more than 100 volunteers.

Inspiring athletes

Sit skiers, standing skiers and visually impaired skiers, ranging in age from teens to 50-somethings, raced sprint distances as well as 5K, 10K and 20K. The biathlon courses ranged from 6K to 12.5K. The stories that accompanied each participant - some acquiring their disabilities at birth and others from misfortune during their lifetime - were all inspiring.

Kelly Underkofler of St. Paul, Minnesota, was born without the lower half of her left arm. She was the only IPC World Cup competitor from the Midwest. She began Nordic skiing at the age of eight, but it wasn't until her freshman year in college that she became a more dedicated competitor. Underkofler excels at target shooting as a biathlete, but said she's a stronger skate skier than classic skier. Kelly says her favorite event is the short distance biathlon and that Norway is her favorite place to race.

When she is not competing, Kelly works as a personal care attendant for youth with special needs.

Twenty-five year old Sebastien Fortier of Quebec City, Quebec, began sit skiing in 2008. Fortier lost the use of his legs in a construction accident at the age of 17.

Fortier's biggest accomplishment in skiing thus far was earning three gold medals in the Canada Games at distances as varied as 800 meters, 2.5K and 5K.

Eric Frazier is a 28-year-old plumber and U.S. Marine originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and who now lives in North Carolina. When Frazier was 22, he survived being shot multiple times, including in his spinal cord, by his estranged father. He turned his tragedy into a success story by hand cycling 3,687 miles in the 2010 Sea to Shining Sea Bike Ride across America.

Upon his arrival in Cable, Frazier had no on-snow training yet this season, yet he worked hard in his competitions. Soon after the start of the 15K sit-ski event, Frazier broke a pole, forcing him to ski with just one pole for the remainder of the first lap. He was given a new pole to use which was two inches too short, leading to a misplant and crash on a corner.

Dan Cnossen lost his legs below the knees after stepping on a concealed improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in September 2009. He is able to walk on prosthetics when he is not sit skiing. Cnossen's most recent accomplishment was completing the New York City Marathon by running and hand cycling.

Watching the visually impaired athletes was amazing. Many were able to ski at speeds of two- to four-minutes per kilometer behind guides, with a few of the visually impaired following directions amplified with speakers on their guides' backs. In the biathlon shooting areas, the athletes put on headsets and used sound-assisted laser guns to find their targets.

There were a few unfortunate incidents involving athletes during the competition. In one case, as a Russian female skier left the penalty loop, a German male skier and his guide exited the biathlon range at top speed. The Germans wound up skiing between the Russian pair, separating the visually impaired skier from her guide. During the Minneapolis sprint competition, three visually impaired skiers and their guides were all coming down the final hill into the stadium simultaneously when they got their skis tangled. But he only injury during the six days of competition and four days of training was a broken wrist suffered by the only athlete from Sweden.

As a whole, the IPC World Cup in Cable and Minneapolis will be remembered for its display of tremendous physical challenges overcome.

Eve Stein is an avid Nordic skier, skijorer, runner, cyclist and dragon boater in Duluth, Minnesota.