Mike Vandeman wrote:
http://olympics.thestar.com/2010/art...soul-to-slopes

Sam Danniels brings 'heart and soul' to slopes

'I'm not looking to come 15th,' says Canadian skier of his first Games

March 14, 2010

Daniel Girard

WHISTLER, B.C.–It's fair to say Sam Danniels is a focused individual.

About 3 1/2 years ago, the Toronto native decided that even though he
remained "very weak physically" after breaking his back in a mountain
bike accident it would be good therapy to try and secure himself a
spot on the Canadian alpine ski team for the 2010 Paralympics.

"It just seemed like a great goal, something I could put my heart and
soul into," the 23-year-old says.

"And that's exactly what I've done.

"But really, there was never much doubt in my mind that I'd be here
today."

So, you'll have to forgive Danniels for not getting too worked up
about his Paralympic debut being delayed by fog, which led to the
postponement of the downhill races here Saturday.

He'll eventually ski in the downhill and super-G, his two sit-ski
events at these Winter Games, once race organizers sort out the
scheduling.

Whatever. He'll just roll with it.

"It's part of the sport," says Danniels, who moved to Whistler about
three years ago after spending time back with his family in Toronto
following the accident in 2005.

"Sometimes everything goes smoothly and you get a nice, blue bird day
and sometimes it's just a nightmare.

"Whistler is a skier's paradise. It's just not a ski-racer's
paradise."

Danniels, who attended Upper Canada College and graduated from Royal
St. George's College in the Bloor-Bathurst area, moved to Kamloops,
B.C., right after high school to study adventure tourism management at
Thompson Rivers University.

While there, he travelled to Whistler virtually every weekend to ski
in the winter and mountain bike in the summer before the accident left
him a paraplegic.

As part of his rehabilitation in Ontario, Danniels learned sit skiing
at Collingwood about four years ago.

Danniels, who is in his first season on the International Paralympic
Committee World Cup circuit, doesn't come in here as a medal
favourite.

But on Wednesday, in the only training run for the downhill event, he
finished first by nearly a second, sweeping down the hill at average
73 km/h.

"If he pulls it off and wins, no one would be happier than us," Lasse
Ericcson, development coach with the Canadian para-alpine team, said
in an interview Saturday. "But we don't have any expectations like
that on him and we've told him that we're here to see him learn for
future games.

"In the disabled community, he's still a very young athlete. I hope to
see him for a lot more years and a couple of more Paralympic Games for
sure."

Danniels knows he'll be a better skier in four years.

But, since he's made the team and is competing on his home mountain
before a couple of dozen vocal supporters from Ontario and B.C., he's
not just looking to gain experience.

"I show up to race and I race to win," Danniels says. "That's my
mentality and that's why I'm here. I'm not looking to come 15th."

Still, no matter what the result when his races finally happen,
Danniels says the ride to his first Paralympics has been worth every
minute.

"At the end of the day, it's about enjoying yourself," he says. "I've
been a skier or a snowboarder or an outdoors person my entire life and
I love this.

"This is what I do."

Nice article, thank you. We at our ski areas
sponsor and work with handicapped people who
like to ski. I have several friends who work
with this group. It's a wonderful way for those
with challenges to enjoy brisk physical out-
doors.