Alaskan Paralyzed at 13 Wins Paralympic Gold in Skiing

When Andrew Kurka flipped his ATV into Jim Creek near Palmer, Alaska, the 13-year-old promising wrestler knew instantly his life had changed forever. Blood poured into his eyes, three vertebrae in his spine were fractured, and within moments the paralysis set in.

The accident reduced the 135-pound athlete to just 90 pounds. For two years, depression consumed him as he wrestled with "why me" moments that felt impossible to overcome.

But his mother Amy offered words that became his lifeline: "This happened for a reason, and the reason is whatever you choose to make it." That perspective shift at age 15 became the turning point Kurka needed.

Growing up on a 640-acre homestead near the tiny village of Nikolaevsk outside Homer, the outdoors had always been part of Kurka's identity. He refused to let paralysis take that away from him, continuing to fish and explore the Alaskan wilderness he loved.

Then he discovered Paralympic skiing. The kid who once dreamed of Olympic wrestling found a new mountain to climb, literally.

In 2018 at the Pyeongchang Paralympic Winter Games in South Korea, Kurka stood atop the podium as the Paralympic champion in sitting downhill skiing. He had reached the absolute peak of athletic achievement, just not the way anyone expected.

Now a keynote speaker, Kurka shares his story to help others facing their own crushing moments. His message is simple: everyone faces the same choice he did after his accident, whether they're dealing with disability or any other challenge.

"It's either yes or no; I had two options," Kurka explains. "It's either overcome or succumb to it."

Why This Inspires

Kurka's journey proves that our plans changing doesn't mean our potential does. He met countless people without disabilities who he considers "less capable" simply because they won't try or work through difficulties.

His wrestling coach once told him there would always be someone better. That young wrestler internalized the lesson, even if the path to excellence looked nothing like he imagined.

This March, Kurka will compete in what's likely his final Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy. He'll race down mountains in a sitting ski, carrying the same competitive fire that once drove a promising young wrestler in Alaska.

The reason he broke his back at 13 became exactly what he chose to make it: a story of resilience that inspires thousands.