“Dreams are the seeds of change. Nothing ever grows without a seed, and nothing ever changes without a dream.” - Debby Boone. As an Alaskan state wrestling champion, Andrew dreamt of becoming an Olympic champion. Life took a turn when he met with a tragic ATV accident at age thirteen which broke his back and paralyzed him. During recovery his physical therapist introduced Andrew to mono-skiing. The new sport seeded hope to carry his dream forward and resulted in him focusing his energy into becoming a Paralympic Champion. Andrew made the U.S. Paralympic National Team in 2010 followed by his first medal for winning the downhill at the 2018 Winter Paralympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. Today he is ranked amongst the top ten mono-ski Alpine downhill racers and top twenty Alpine super G and GS racers. Outside of skiing Andrew works as a radio DJ and professional announcer.

How and when did you decide to take on skiing?A: The moment I first tried skiing, I knew it was for me. I was going to work as hard as I could and take it as far as I could. I was a wrestler before I broke my back, and wanted to be the best. After I broke my back, my physical therapist took me skiing and I had a chance to taste victory again. A chance to be the best. I decided I was going to replace my wrestling dream of being the best. With my dream of being the best skier.

What do you like the most about skiing?A: The adrenaline, the fact that the danger and sense of instinct and focus is the one thing that matters in the moment and nothing else.

What is your most memorable championship and why?A: The moment I achieved victory at Pyeong Chang in the Downhill. All the injuries and broken bones throughout my career became worth it in that moment.

What challenges did you face during your school days outside of sports?A: The largest challenges in the beginning of my career was finding the money to travel and compete to progress at my sport.

What are your other hobbies?A: My hobbies consist of fishing. Hunting and cycling primarily. I spend most time outdoors.

What is your favorite place to visit? What do you love about that place?A: New Zealand and France are my favorite places. New Zealand because the people and everything surrounding it, is amazing. France, because there’s no where else you can find better skiing.

What is your suggestion for families of children with disabilities to empower their children?A: Find a way to get them as active as possible. Show them that they can do anything anyone else can do, just differently. Don’t, Hold, them, back. Don’t overly worry for their safety and keep them from being included. Do things with them, let them live dangerously and make mistakes. Don’t baby them. They need to grow.

What tips/advice do you have for those in our community who are interested in skiing?A: Find, a local program and get started. See how you like it. Google can be your best friend and give you all the answers you need in your local area. Or contact me I’m always happy to help.

Any special message for our community?A: Don’t limit yourself. Anything can be done, it just takes a different perspective to accomplish it and more often than not a lot more work.