Champions aren’t Built One at a Time

W2, as he was fondly called, was the headmaster and founder of the nation’s first high school for training ski racers—Burke Mountain Academy in East Burke, VT. Despite the fact that my leg had been amputated at age five, he believed in my dream of becoming an international ski champion and gave me a full scholarship to train with the best of the best as the first disabled athlete at his special school. I had been racing against other amputees and already won six medals in national competition. Being at Burke Acadmey was my passport to getting good enough to qualify for the US Paralympic team.

Transition to Training School: Senior year in high school can be tough for anyone, but being at Burke redefined the word, “tough.” On the first day of school, I broke my leg—my only good leg. I didn’t have enough money for race expenses so I spent my rehabilitation time writing letters to sponsors for help. Right after I got the cast off my real leg, my artificial leg broke in half…then got lost in the mail when I sent it off for repair! Once my legs were working again and the snow fell, I found out that all the other kids could ski on one leg better than I could, In sum, I was far away from home, broke, and very,very frustrated. I learned that when you cry in your goggles, it freezes.

But I stuck with it. I trained with all the two legged kids, got stronger and most importantly, learned to race.
[Excerpt from an article in Fall issue of Balance Magazine. To read the rest of the article go to www.balancemagazine.com Under “The Magazine” find the issue with Lorraine Bracco on the cover (Fall 08). Click to download and turn to page 76. The article is about the impact Warren Witherell and Burke Mountain Academy had on my life—I share his five tips for building your own communities of champions at work, at home, and in your community.]