It is official - Cory has qualified for his fourth consecutive Special Olympics Canada National 
Winter Games, to be held in Calgary next February!

The Games also serve as the qualifier event for the 2025 World Winter Games, to be held in Turin, Italy.

While waiting for that good news, Cory participated in BC Adaptive's All Mountain Camp at Sunshine Village, near Banff, Alberta, - a four-day camp featuring gate training and free skiing.  It's an excellent combination of training and fun skiing, in a spectacular and still wintry setting:

This camp is for everyone....

Working with Alpine Canada Coach Mark:

Ready to Go!

Sitting in his Special Olympics 2023 Provincial Winter Games souvenir shirt, our last day at Banff Sunshine is likely Cory's last day of this unforgettable season.  Training for Calgary 2024 can wait...

This eventful ski season isn't quite over for Cory yet. Last week, he participated in the Canadian Adaptive Snowsports (CADS) Annual Festival in Kimberley, BC. Under sunny blue skies, Cory did some gate training in the mornings for 4 days in a row, with free skiing in the afternoons, plus a final full day of free skiing. It's a format that Cory really enjoys - a good combination of work and fun - and it's an event that he has been attending since 2014, when it's been held in western Canada, as it alternates with Eastern Canadian venues.






While not as large as Whister Blackcomb and Sun Peaks, Kimberley still offers a lot of fun terrain and is rarely crowded, even on weekends. It's one of our favourite places to ski. The race course was on a run called Dreadnaught, the yellow circle here...





We stayed in a rented condo at the base of the hill, where we may have discovered a good omen. There were several framed prints of ski hills around the world, including one for Sestriere, Italy. If Cory qualifies for Team Canada again next year in Calgary, he will ski for Canada at Special Olympics' World Winter Games 2025 in Sestriere.

Our arrival at Cranbrook airport, plenty of sun and snow in the mountain peaks...

In full Special Olympics Team Canada uniform for this week...

And proudly showing the telltale signs of taking tight lines through the race course, hitting gates with his forearms as he races by them....

Time for lunch...

Hungry athlete...

Next month, there is BC Adaptive's All Mountain Camp - a similar format to the CADS Festival - in Banff. Cory hasn't decided yet whether he will attend.

 We are now well into year two of the current 4 year Special Olympics cycle.  Cory just competed in Special Olympics British Columbia's Provincial Winter Games at Sun Peaks.

But for a few days, it didn't look like he would be able to compete at all.  With the Games looming in early February, back in mid-January one of Cory's training team mates crashed into him, resulting in a diagnosis of broken ribs.  No skiing for 6 weeks.  It was a devastating development, he'd have to wait another 4 years until the next Provincial Games to try to make it to Team Canada again.

A few days later, an x-ray showed bruised ribs, not broken.  Painful but not dangerous to resume skiing.  But no gate training.

So Cory would get a chance to qualify for the 2024 National Games, but would likely have to race in pain.

Then on the morning of the first race at Sun Peaks, an emergency medical issue required his father be transferred to hospital in Kamloops.

In spite of it all, Cory raced to 3 silver medals, one each in Slalom, Giant Slalom, and Super Giant Slalom.  Truly his most golden moment.  Racing with no training, in pain, and worry about his father..

He was also able to walk into the Opening Ceremonies in Kamloops with his fellow BC members of Team Canada 2022.  The Team never got the opportunity to do that at the Worlds in Russia as they were cancelled so it was a great moment to see the Team walk in to loud applause.

With his local team mates, two of whom were also on Team Canada...

on the podium in Giant Slalom...

podium in Super Giant Slalom

So now we wait several months to official hear whether Cory has qualified for the National Games next February in Calgary.  Which in turn is the qualifying event for the World Games in Italy in 2025.

But with 24 points from 3 silver medals, there are only two other male skiers with more points, and there are usually 5 or 6 male skiers selected.  It looks good for his 4th consecutive National Games after Jasper in 2012, Newfoundland in 2016, and Thunder Bay in 2020.

Next up is the CADS Festival in Kimberley, BC in March.  Look for an update then.

 It's now August 2022, and with the huge disappointment after the cancellation of the 2023 Special Olympics World Winter Games now behind us, it's time to refocus on the next competitive cycle.

The current cycle started in February 2022, at the Regional competition that was held at Sasquatch Mountain.  As Cory is the only skier from his Region (Delta, Richmond, Burnaby), he was virtually guaranteed to qualify for the 2023 Provincial Winter Games as long as he completed the course without being disqualified for missing a gate.

So he was cautious and yet finished second behind a new young skier but was still over 3 seconds faster than his long-time rival in each of his two runs.  We should know very soon if Cory has officially qualified for the Provincial Games in Kamloops and Sun Peaks next February.

he didn't miss that gate but sure gave it a good shot as he raced by...

It was shortly after that race that Special Olympics announced the cancellation of the World Winter Games.  But Cory still enjoyed some Team Canada 2022 activities and gear.

First of course was his Team Canada 2022 long-sleeved T shirt which he has been very proud to wear...

And then a Team Canada 2022 gathering in Toronto.  Cory is in front of the round column at the back on the left, wearing a blue mask.  These are Team Canada athletes from all sports:  Alpine Skiing, Snowshoeing, Speed Skating, Figure Skating, and Cross-Country Skiing...all wearing red Team Canada 2022 short-sleeved T Shirts...

And now with coaches and mission staff in their Team Canada 2022 grey hoodies....Cory is waving at us from inside the yellow circle...

And now with the Alpine Ski Team, Cory is at the back, fifth from the right...

And again with the entire team, Cory giving us a two-handed wave from the yellow circle....

And while there was no opportunity to race for a medal for Canada, there is a medal now on Cory's trophy wall....

And while there will be no official Team Canada 2022 race suit, several members of the Alpine Ski Team opted to purchase their own, and they will proudly wear these wherever they train and race beginning next season.  Look for an update soon with photos of Cory wearing his as they are expected to arrive within the next couple of weeks...

The rear view will actually look like the 2nd photo, with a large red maple leaf on the back, instead of just "Canada" there...yellow is the traditional colour of Canada's Olympic and World Cup ski team.

But it hasn't been all fun and games for Cory over the last few weeks.  After recovering from cancer in 2019, then a diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondilitis in 2021, he has had to deal with a rare but very painful reaction to the medication he takes for AS.  

Physical activity is certainly on hold as he deals with this, while we all hope recovery will come soon and we will start planning some dryland training and some travel to Banff for early season on-snow training in late November and early December.

That will be part of his preparation for the Provincial Winter Games on February 3 & 4, which are in the 2nd year of the cycle and the qualifying event for the National Games in Calgary in 2024.  Cory will be gunning for his 4th consecutive National Winter Games (Edmonton & Jasper 2012, Corner Brook & Marble Mountain 2016, Thunder Bay & Loch Lomond Ski Area in 2020) where he will attempt to qualify for Team Canada 2025, and another chance to represent his country, this time in Turin, Italy in 2025.

Look for more updates as we approach the ski season.

 Much has happened since our last post back in April.

First, Special Olympics have postponed the World Winter Games scheduled for January 2022 to January 2023, still to be held in Kazan, Russia.

And, we finally received a diagnosis about the pain that Cory has been experiencing for almost 2 years.  It's a condition called Ankylosing Spondilitis.  It is an inflammation of the joints, usually in the spine, is chronic and has no cure.  With a diagnosis came a recommended medication, which has made a big difference in pain levels and frequency.  

So the good thing is Cory now has more time to slowly get back into sports activities with the Games pushed back to 2023.

We also discovered a terrific ski simulator in North Vancouver so when Cory is ready to go back to training, that will be an excellent tool to improve his racing skills.  He did use it a few times before the pain got just too much.

Here back in June:

More recently it's been biking, bowling, and softball, mostly with no pain but some times with a considerable amount of pain.

With winter coming fast, we will update more often.  A well-earned vacation in Mexico in November, then we will go watch the world's best female skiers race at Lake Louise in December.  Snow should start falling soon thereafter.  And likely some simulator training before then.

Not much training, lots of pain

Kazan, Russia - the location of Special Olympics' World Winter Games in January 2022 - is just over 800 kms east of Moscow. It is on the Volga River, at a similar latitude to James Bay in Canada. It is Russia's 5th largest city, with about 1.5 million residents and is the capital of Tatarstan region. It is considered as the sports capital of Russia, having hosted some of the 2018 World Cup soccer games, and the 2015 World Aquatics Championships. The Kazan Kremlin - seen below - is a UNESCO heritage site.

The Opening and Closing Ceremonies - to be held on January 22 & 28, 2022 - will be held in Tatneft Arena, which has a capacity of about 10,000, and is the home of AK Kazan, the professional hockey club.

With the Covid situation, we have limited safe opportunities to ski but Cory did enjoy a beautiful West Coast day at Cypress, his home mountain, in late March.

But it seems he's spending more time with doctors than skiing while he still battles foot and hip pain. Here with his chiropractor:

We are hoping that the pain will finally be gone by summer time when Cory hopes to train with Whistler Mountain Ski Club - if Whister Blackcomb is allowed to reopen by then.

In the meantime, there is daily reporting to Special Olympics Canada to be done. Physical activity and nutrition intake every day...and yes Cory does walk about 23,000 steps when he works, usually 3 days a week. Sure doesn't help the foot pain...

We will update with progress on Cory's preparations for the World Winter Games.

 

Cory will ski for Canada in Kazan, Russia in January 2022, at Special Olympics' World Winter Games.  Dreams do come true!

After 15 years of hard work and commitment to his sport with hopes of representing Canada one day, Special Olympics Canada has announced its Team Canada 2022 and Cory is on it!

At his 3rd National Games last February, Cory earned 3 Gold Medals, giving him the maximum number of points possible, and paving the way for his selection to the team.

The Kazan Games will host 107 nations, over 2000 athletes, over 7 days of competition in 7 sports.

Here he is in his first Team Canada gear:

Here's a link to the Games official website:

www.sokazan2022.com

Stay tuned for regular updates on Cory's preparations to compete at his best for Canada!

 Special Olympics Canada has just confirmed that they will be sending a team to the World Winter Games in Kazan, Russia (see photo below) in 2022.

Team Canada members will be announced in November 2020.

The Official 2022 World Winter Games website:
 https://sokazan2022.com/

After Sweden withdrew from hosting the 2021 Special Olympics World Winter Games back in December, and then the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic, we knew it would take much more time than usual to find out when the Games would be held, where they would be held, and whether Cory is selected to Team Canada.

Well, we now know the Games will be held from January 22 to January 28, 2022.

And we now know the Games will be held in Kazan, Russia.

What we still don't know is whether Cory will be there wearing the Maple Leaf.

So a good time to review how Cory got to this point, so close to realizing a dream that started over 15 years ago.  And the last 3 years certainly provided some new challenges to Cory.

Including some health issues, both minor and major, and Cory continues to suffer from foot pain that started earlier this year.

The first year of the current cycle was 2018, with the Regional Qualifier held in Kimberley.  Cory represents Region 3 at Special Olympics British Columbia (Richmond, Burnaby, Delta).  Being the only alpine skier from his Region, Cory was pretty much guaranteed to qualify for the 2019 Provincial Games, especially since in previous cycles, all participants in the Regional Qualifying races were invited to the Provincial Games the following year, unlike all other SOBC sport programs.

Cory had not lost an SOBC race since 2007, and was expecting to do well again.  Though he certainly expected to be challenged by his main rival from North Vancouver.  Until that racer broke his wrist in training and could not race at the Qualifiers.

So Cory was feeling pretty good about finishing first at the Regionals, though he knows anything can happen on race day.

And it did.  Cory raced well, but did not win any of the 3 races, beaten by 2 newcomers from the Cranbrook area.

So now, while qualifying for the Provincial Games was still quite certain, Cory would have to work very hard to find a way to beat these two new athletes at the 2019 Provincial Games if he hoped to qualify for the National Games in 2020.

As it turned out, for the first time, not all athletes who participated qualified for the 2019 Provincial Games.  And even though 2 racers beat Cory, neither of them qualified.  There were no explanations provided, so we can only guess that the racers who beat Cory were not actually registered with Special Olympics.

So onto the 2019 Provincials we go, at Silver Star near Vernon.  Again, expecting to do well but knowing that only 3 Gold Medal finishes would guarantee him a trip to Thunder Bay for the 2020 National Games.

It's a cold and very snowy couple of days at Silver Star.  And very short race courses, which levels the playing field and makes even a small error very costly.

The first day goes very well, as Cory wins the Giant Slalom and Super Giant Slalom races, though the Super G was by a .49 of a second margin, it was close.

The next day would be Slalom, 2 runs to determine if Cory would grab his 3 Gold Medal.  Then, about 10 minutes before he was to start his first run on the course, Cory had a seizure.  They don't usually last long and neither did this one but he still had to get back into race mode in a hurry.  And he did, winning by close to 3 seconds over the 2 runs.






So after the uncertainty of believing he would be competing against faster rivals, and then overcoming a pre-race seizure, Cory received a letter in early May, 2019, that he would represent BC at his third National Games.

A month later, attending the National Games would become much less important to us all.  On June 20, after experiencing pain for a few weeks, Cory was diagnosed with cancer.  He was fortunate with surgery taking place two days later, and within 6 weeks or so, he was declared free of cancer and has remained so ever since.

So by fall, it was back to work to prepare for the 2020 National Games.  Starting with the terrific new full-time race program at Rocky Mountain Adaptive in Banff, Alberta,  in early December, 2019:





and again in January 2020, where wind chill values dropped to -37C, which would turn out to be good training for the weather Cory would deal with at the National Games in Thunder Bay...





as well as with BC Adaptive at Sun Peaks...




So on to the National Games in Thunder Bay in late February, where Cory would try for the 3rd time to earn enough points to be selected to Team Canada.

And he would once again deal with a health issue, plantar fasciitis in his left foot.  Up until that week, it hadn't bothered him in ski boots but he was experiencing a lot of pain when we watched him do some training runs on the first day of the Games.

But he persevered and with a little bit of luck, earned the maximum number of points possible by winning 3 Gold Medals in his 3 races.

Gold in Super G:



Gold in Giant Slalom:

Gold in Slalom:

So not quite at the finish line yet, but hopefully we will know soon whether Cory will be travelling to Russia in 2022.

Spasibo!