EDMONTON – Kirk Schornstein of Spruce Grove is getting ready to show off his skills in Sochi, as part of Canada’s Paralympic ski team.
The 20-year-old was born with Erb’s Palsy, a condition that paralyzed his right arm. It didn’t keep him away from the slopes, though, which he began mastering when he was just two.
“I wanted somebody to ski with because my husband doesn’t ski, and I wanted a partner. And Kirk needed to learn balance,” said Kirk’s mother, Angela, of her decision to get him started young.
By the time he was eight, Kirk was racing against able-bodied athletes at Edmonton’s Snow Valley – something that, at times, felt like an uphill battle.
“I was always dead last…I was always crying at the end of races just because I wasn’t being successful,” he said.
“Yeah, he had some down days,” his mom admitted, “but who doesn’t? So I said…keep it up, Kirk. You can do this.”
It was that encouragement from his parents that Kirk says fueled his perseverance, and for which he’s grateful for now.
“I just wish I could tell my younger self, ‘thank you’ and to give him a big hug because it could’ve gone a totally different way for me; and I could’ve thrown it all away. But I really am so happy the way I was pushed by other people and by myself to keep going.”
Since discovering the Paralympic movement at age 14, skiing has taken Kirk all over the world. A race that stands out in his memory is one in Kimberley, B.C., where he competed against athletes from across the continent and made it onto the podium for the first time.
“And right there it was just a huge eye-opener and inspiration to me,” he said.
The chance to represent his country at the 2010 Paralympic Games in Vancouver wasn’t far behind.
For Kirk’s parents, seeing their son at the opening ceremonies was an emotional moment.
“That’s when I turned to my husband and said, ‘we’re parents of an Olympian. Who can say that? Not too many people,” said his mother. “So I think that’s when it really hit me of how proud I am of him.”
The then-16-year-old was the top Canadian in his division, and has had his sights set on Sochi ever since.
His chance to shine there is just around the corner – the Paralympics kick off March 7.
The young athlete hopes his journey can inspire others to pursue their own dreams, regardless of how distant they can sometimes seem.
“There is something out there that you love…just find it,” he said. “You gotta go for it…and you just have to stick with it.”
With files from John Sexsmith, Global News
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