My Unusual Training for the 2006 Winter Paralympics
Back when I was aiming to compete as a ski-racer in the Paralympics, my motto was "1mt1mt." Those six little characters stand for an idea I had to do "one more thing, one more time."
At the time, I was living in Williamsburg, Virginia which is absolutely nothing like the mountainous terrain of Turino, Italy where I'd be competing. But I really wanted a way to get in more training during the off-season and I wanted to do one more thing than my competition was willing to do.
It felt awesome to be back in the skate…2026 Winter Paralympics in Milano, anyone?
I realized elevators are kinda like ski lifts. So I'd ride to the top of a parking deck near my college campus of William & Mary and skate down on a singular roller ski. I would do this over and over and over again.
Dangerous? Definitely. A little unhinged? Absolutely. But I did make the team. I was proud to represent the United States in the ninth Paralympic Winter Games, which took place in Turino, Italy.
What's your 1mt 1mt?
P.S. I don't recommend you try this at home!
My friend Tara Wall is an amazing photographer and captured these images on a local parking deck like the one where I trained all those years ago!