ATHLETE OF THE WEEK | TONY SCHMIESING

#HighFivesAthlete Tony SchmiesingFirst Quadriplegic To Ever Heliski, takes on the opportunity to CAT Ski!

“Brian and I found ourselves Cat Skiing in Fernie…a young adaptive skier, Grace Brulotte and her ski partner, Scott Courtemanche from Fernie British Columbia, saw the film Edge of Impossible a year ago and were inspired to try to make Heli skiing a dream come true.” – #HighFivesAthlete Tony Schmiesing

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“We skied some of the coolest steeps we’ve ever skied and we took a wipeout that was epic” – #HighFivesAthlete Tony Schmiesing

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“In order to help them (Grace and her ski partner Scott ) raise awareness for their goal and bring greater awareness surrounding disability issues, they flew us out there to help promote these causes — the added bonus being Cat skiing with them at Fernie Wilderness Adventures.  Such beautiful generosity on their part as well as FWA!
As to the skiing, we definitely got the goods. Nice fresh spring pow and some amazing steeps and tree skiing with some truly spectacular people (including my sister). I broke my leg on the second to last line of the day (thankfully Not earlier!).” – #HighFivesAthlete Tony Schmiesing
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Apparently it was quite spectacular. Below is a quote from Scott:

We are dropped on this ridge above what I’m told is a run called The Quarry. Polar Chutes…. You’ve met your match.  Tony Schmiesing and Brian Sheckler drop in and make it look like the Meadow at Fernie Alpine. We head up for another go-round.

“Grace, can I do that run on my own?”…. Yes she says!
I ski one of the best lines of my life.
Then Tony and Brian drop in….. They ski hard, hit a wind lip or rock, launch 6-7 feet in the air do a 180, land switch, and tomahawk down the run. One of the most spectacular crashes I’ve EVER seen!
After composing themselves they ski it out. Tough as nails these guys are.

— Scott Courtemanche

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“Arguably this was one of the coolest skiing experiences I’ve ever had (not eating shit, but…).  And I’m certain Roy, Steve, Brian, the Quinn’s and the entire H5 Family would agree with me, that my affiliation with all of you—and all the hardwork that went into making Alaska possible—is having a radiant effect on the skiing world. Inspiring in the most beautiful way! Pushing boundaries and opening minds to new possibilities. Pretty damn cool.
 
And the awesome punctuation to all this? Grace fulfilled her dreams two weeks ago, becoming the first Canadian woman adaptive skier to Heli Ski Canada!” – #HighFivesAthlete Tony Schmiesing
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Tony’s Journey //

A C4-5 quadriplegic as the result of the spinal cord injury suffered at a beach where he grew up, and currently battling Syringmyelia, Tony’s tenacious surf/skate/ski DNA has pushed him through all sorts of obstacles and has lead him into an endlessly surprising and beautiful life. Tony was bitten hard by the bi-ski bug when he hooked up with the folks over at Achieve Tahoe at Alpine Meadows and the stoke hasn’t subsided. With assistance from the Empowerment Fund, he looks to really push things forward in his skiing. You can follow Tony at www.fasterbarnacle.com where he writes about life, skiing, music and whatever else scratches his soul.

“It’s all happening right now, embrace it with a committed fearlessness.”

provided

Aspen Seating, 3 rounds of lessons with Disabled Sports USA – Far West and the means to become the first quadriplegic skier to ride a superpipe.

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