Canadian para alpine skier Kurt Oatway, a gold medalist at the 2018 Paralympics who honed his skills in Saskatchewan, has secured a bronze medal in the men’s downhill sit-skiing event. Oatway embarked on his para alpine skiing journey at Mission Ridge Ski Hill in Fort Qu’Appelle back in March 2010. By 2014, he was already competing at the Paralympic Games in Sochi, and now, over a decade later, he continues to showcase his prowess on the slopes.
Gordon Poulton, Oatway’s initial coach and the head of the adaptive skiing program at Mission Ridge, expressed his pride in Oatway’s achievements. Poulton highlighted Oatway’s dedication and hard work, emphasizing the crucial role of support from family, friends, and the ski community in nurturing Oatway’s talent and helping him excel.
Oatway, who started sit-skiing under Poulton’s guidance while attending the University of Saskatchewan, demonstrated remarkable skill and determination from the outset of his training. Poulton praised Oatway’s mental fortitude, noting the fine balance between success and failure in ski racing and predicting Oatway’s ascent to higher levels of the sport.
Despite missing out on the 2022 Games in Beijing due to a severe injury sustained shortly before the event, Oatway made a remarkable comeback following a devastating crash. Poulton expressed optimism about Oatway’s performance in the upcoming super grand slalom event, hoping for a gold medal finish.
At the recent competition, Norwegian Jesper Pederson claimed the gold medal, with Dutch skier Niels de Langen securing silver alongside Oatway’s bronze. Oatway is gearing up to represent Canada in the super grand slalom event on Monday, an event he triumphed in eight years ago. Poulton revealed that the 42-year-old athlete is contemplating participating in future editions of the Games.