[corey] i’m putting all of my time and effortinto pursuing this goal of mine, of becoming the best mono-skier in the world. [narrator] barely four years after amotor-cross accident left him paralysed, corey peters arrived at the sochi 2014paralympic winter games. he’s here to compete in the most dangerousalpine event on the schedule; the sit ski. [commentator] oh! and he comes to grief now! really late at the line and another one fallsinside of the finish. that’s a big stack! [corey] probably, there’s a lot of peopleout there who are saying
‘why would you want to do a sport like that?’ [commentator] corey peters of new zealand [corey] i’ve just got this thing where i’mjust super competitive when it comes to sport and i just want to be the best. [radio voice] welcome to cardrona alpine resorton tuesday the 24th of september. cardrona is open today, a bit of cloud around this morning. it’s plus 1 and a half degrees at base. and some cloud rolling around…
[corey] well i love waking up and going to training every day, even though it is early and cold. it gives you a focus. i’ve got goals set that i want to try and achieve in the next six years. the big goal is for me to participate in the paralympics, in sochi russia and then following that, the big goal is tobring home a medal in 2018.
[narrator] in his bid to follow his dreams, corey has uprooted his life in new plymouth. rented out his house and moved to wanaka. [corey] i think in a wayyou’ve got to be a bit selfish. you know, you’re leaving all yourfriends and family behind to go travel half way around the world to ski race basically. i guess it’s a little bit out of my comfort zone, but it’s about me pursuing this goal of mine.
[narrator] corey is a paraplegic. a result of a motor-cross accident four years ago. corey can still walk small distances with crutches, but spends 90 percent ofhis time in a wheel chair. [corey] my spinal cord wasn’t completelysevered or completely damaged. so i still have the function of, having my core, my arms and hand function and things like that.
[narrator] just a year after his injury, corey was introduced to sit skiing ata sports expo in taranaki. he was hooked. soon he was off to wanaka for anadaptive snow sports have a go day. [corey] the first few times beingon the mountain there was a lot of falling over going on. just trying to come to grips with the balance and the co-ordination of it all i guess. within three days i was comingdown the mountain solo.
basically we start off with a mono ski, which is something just likea bucket that we sit in. and it’s got an aluminium frame with a shock to absorb all the bumps aswe come down the mountain. we use these outriggers for balance. they have a small ski on the bottom. that’s the ride position, and then just to pull yourself alongin the queue line we flick them up into that position,
which gives you stability on the snow. as you can see, this is what we call a brake. they’re compulsory when you’re racing in case you crash. it’s to help slow you down. but basically, i can get the bucket right down on the snow and get it back over onto the other side. before my accident i was really out-going.
into any sport i could get my hands, into. my main sports were, in my early days, were like rugby. and then that changed to surfing and motor-cross. the morning of the race we drovefrom taranaki up to taupo. i didn’t really know the track, so we had a couple of warm up lapsand stuff before my race. and then when it came to, race time,
it was just on, and i justwent too fast over a jump. that was where i wasinstantly paralysed on landing. the first 12 months were my darkest days really. just trying to come to terms with, such a serious injury. and just trying to adjust to a new life. yeah it was certainly the mostchallenging time of my life. there’s a lot of different steps, of acceptance and grief,
and there’s different phases that you go through. but i think eventually you come out the other end, and finding a sport wasreally critical for me really. to, pick yourself back up and get back on with life really. [narrator] on the mountain adaptivesnow sports new zealand quickly saw corey’s potential. [corey] to have those guys noticea bit of talent in me,
that sort of gave me quitea bit of confidence back. and it’s just good that people could see the best in you no matter whatyour circumstances are. [narrator] then he met snow sports new zealand’s head coach scott olson, who encouraged him to qualify for sochi. [corey] he basically said to me ‘there’s an organinsation in colorado called the national sports centre for disabled
and that’s where they do a lot ofthe training and ski racing’. so yeah, he basically just asked if i’d like to come over and i jumped at the chance. [scott] corey took to mono skiing like a fish to water. corey was racing within a couple of weeks he was participating in a race at mt. hutt. we recognised raw talent right there. the drive, the enthusiasm, the excitement
that corey had within him, and within three to four weeks he was keeping up witheverybody else on the hill. [corey] there’s a lot of similarities between motor-cross and mono skiing. firstly, you’ve got a shock under you to absorb bumps and terrain. in terms of race line, there’s definitely similarities there.
you want to come in to corners withgood body position and good balance, just try and rail those turns as best you can. [narrator] as soon as the lastlight fades on the mountain, corey hits the gym. [corey] over the last couple of years of me skiing i’ve been learning how to become anathlete and how to train, and you know, what to eat, and what to work in the gym. it’s just been a huge learning curve,
it’s just starting to come together. [narrator] the 2013 world championships in la molina, spain is corey’s first chance to impresson the world stage. good results here would mean an increase in funding. [corey] there is an expectation of me to perform, in order for me to get the funding from snow sports new zealand.
i try not to put too much stress on myself mentally. but, i mean, physically i want to be able to push myself as far as i can. [scott] there are very few people that could even make this transition in a two year period to be able to go from never skiing, to a world cup level racer. and corey is going to do it. he will do that this year.
mark my words. [narrator] with 500 athletes, the world championships are the biggest event outside the winter paralympics. all the top skiers are here. [corey] yeah, basically the world champs are the next step down from the paralympics. so i’ll skip europa cup and world cups and go on to the top you know.
these guys are basically the best in the world. [narrator] to qualify for sochi, corey needs to attend events like this. each time he races he gathers points. the more points, the better his world ranking. he needs to prove he can finish in the top six. [jon] corey’s been skiing for two years maximum, so, when we say we’re trying to fast track talent, we are doing exactly that.
we teach them how to be, you know world round athletes, travelling, being part of a team, just as early as we do good technique and how to get fast on a ski. so, yeah... hopefully sochi is a reality for corey to get there and qualify and, you know, our selection criteria means that
we take pretty competitive people. so if he reaches that criteria to get to sochi then he’s well on his way to medalling in korea. [narrator] each new mountain bringsnew challenges and new risks. at speeds of 120kmph there’s always more than medals at stake. [corey] probably there’s a lot of people out there that are saying it’s got, you know, just as much risksif not more than motor-cross.
when i’m on a racecourse, i don’t think i really think backto that motor-cross race. i kind of just take the new mountain or the new race. i just take it as it is really. [announcer] corey peters, from new zealand. 22nd position. one minute, two seconds, point ninety five. [corey] the course is fast,
it’s pretty slick out there. i think i did pretty well on that top section. i was just over a second out. basically you’ve got to get into the tuckand get your outriggers up, try and break that wind. just try and get as aerodynamic as possible, which i thought i did pretty well. but yeah, just a couple of mistakeson my line on this bottom section. probably gave it away a little bit,
but all in all pretty stoked withmy first, super g world cup. [narrator] corey’s now seen how good the best sit skiers in the world are. it’s renewed his drive and focus towards qualifying for sochi. [corey] it’s sort of made me realize where i need to be and where i want to be. i’m rally focused on becoming the best skier that i can and competing with those guys.
i guess that comes down to putting inthe hard yards in the gym, and i’ve got a good support team behind me. working on a lot of functional stuff to make me a better skier. this exercise is really functionalfor what i do as a sit skier. having a strong core is crucial, to have good balance and stability on your ski. i mean the speeds we get up to on a race course can be up to about 120kmph.
coming through a turn at that speed, there’s a lot of forces going on so you really need to be strong, to enable you to come through the turn nicely without crashing. [ben] so what’s your thoughts? [corey] it looks like, it looks to me like i’m pressuring a little bit late. [narrator] always trying to findthat next little advantage,
corey’s enlisted international alpine coach ben adams to look at his technique. [ben] if you look at, especially the turns to the left here, but then look at the setup, you can see the whole body is inclined in. it’s causing you to sort of come around this area, where you can probably be coming up, you know, a little bit closer up by the gate.
[corey] if i continue to do that, you know with these races coming upat coronet peak, i think, that’ll certainly help my confidence coming into those races. [narrator] it’s the 2013 wanaka winter games. it’s a world cup qualifier with a full schedule of olympic and paralympic events. it will be corey’s chance to see how far he’s improved since the world championships
six months ago. but the end of the winter seasonis causing havoc with conditions. [corey] well coronet is generally renowned for, you know, for being quite hard. they don’t call it concrete peak for nothing. but unseasonal warm weather is probablygoing to make the snow quite soft. the last, sort of week, we’ve been training in really really soft stuff up at cardrona there. so potentially, it should go well as long as
i do what i’ve been doing in training. [scott] the progression of corey hasbeen one of trust. going through course inspection, picking out a line, going over tactics with him, and having him trust that, if he gets the right line, if he uses the right tactic the speed will be there for him.
where in the past corey has looked to go just straight down the hill and go fast and the tactics have lacked this time, corey has matured so much. [corey] pre race nerves are quite normal. no matter what sport you’re doing, whether it’s car racing, or motor-cross or ski racing you know.
[commentator] and on course, corey peters from new zealand, was tenth in the giant slalom at the world championships in la molina in spain. he’s certainly a handy slalom skier as well. now, second is good. he’d love first. he’ll have to set the marker down with only one skier to go. this is a charge.
great run, and a nice finish. [crowd cheers] [narrator] corey’s nailed it with a silver medal. the result pushes his world ranking into the top 20 and qualifies him for sochi. [corey] we’ve been working pretty hard with the training and things like that, and it’s good to see some of those good techniques coming out in the racing.
i’m just growing in confidence really. [announcer] second place, from new zealand corey peters! [corey] i’ve come a long way in the last 12 months. i think it comes down to goal setting, working hard and, some of the coaches their information and knowledge they’ve given me. first world cup race, and to get a podium is, yeah, unheard of probably.
yeah, i’m pretty stoked with that and hopefully its one of many. [announcer] ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the opening ceremony of the sochi 2014 paralympic winter games. [narrator] the scale of the paralympics can be overwhelming. walking into a stadium of 50,000 people can really put pressure on a young athlete.
[corey] when i raised the flag, it was quite touching really. four years ago i didn’t thinkthat i would be here. [vladimir putin presents a speech in russian] [fireworks explode] [narrator] first day of the alpine competition and the conditions are far from ideal. warmer than expected temperatureshave melted a lot of the snow. the slopes will be treacherous.
[ashley] it’s going to be a challenge, i suppose from our part of the world, coming from new zealand wherewe get similar conditions: rain, warmer, sometimes cold. our guys are used to skiing or snowboarding in tough conditions. the winter games last year were very similar. so we’ve prepared for it, and it’ll be the same for all the nations.
it’ll be down to who’s prepared the best. [narrator] the super g is one of thefastest events in alpine skiing. the condition of the courseis steadily getting worse. with each new athleteadding deeper grooves into the snow. [commentator] he’s going to smash the time, under one twenty. one nineteen fifty-one. kano leads by two seconds and that time is going to take some beating.
[narrator] only a slight bump can start a cart-wheel, leaving skiers tumbling across the mountain. already 14 skiers have not made it to the finish. if you’re down the starting lineup like corey it only gets more dangerous. [commentator] so, corey peters of new zealand. he’s nearly five seconds off the pace. look how bumpy it is down that track.
peters then in sight of the finish. he will post a time in his firstwinter paralympics race. and it’s fifth. six point six seconds off the pace. [corey] i got to about the third gate and thought ‘shit i’m in for abit of a rodeo ride here’. sure enough it was a really bumpy course. about half the field, i think, crashed out. yeah. first paralympic race, you know,
managed to finish which is, it’s a bonus. [narrator] being his first paralympics, corey wasn’t expecting the amountof public interest in him. [corey] i got a bit mobbed by the locals. it made you feel quite cool you know. i felt quite proud, you know getting to sign. they were all running up to you, getting you to sign their bits ofpaper and things like that, and wanting photos with you.
that’s something i haven’t reallyexperienced before. [narrator] in amongst the throngs of fans, is corey’s dad. [dennis] not every parent actually gets to see one of their offspring actually make it to an olympic games, let alone a paralympic game what is it coming up four or five years that he’s had his accident he’s just come away in leaps and bounds, you know.
the doors have just opened up for him. [narrator] the paralympics is an intense experience, so you need space to be able torelax your body and mind. team new zealand’s base at the athlete’s village has been created with this in mind. it’s a bit like a dunedin flat; full of your best mates. but there’s always the constant thought of the competition in the back of your mind.
[corey] yeah the crowds are really good. the skiers as they come over that last pitch, they just erupt into like, a loud cheer. [masseur] corey being in a wheelchair, in a sit ski, he works his arms, back, neck, shoulders, a lot so it can get quite tight.
so we just work on it each day to keep things loose so he’s fresh and fighting fit for competition in the coming days. [narrator] by day seven the conditions haven’t improved at all. [commentator] oh no no no, he gets bounced out. now corey peters of new zealand. point nine three off the pace.
oh! that has killed it on the flattest part of the track. corey peters. four point five three. he’ll go to seventh for the time being. he’s finished. i thought the super g was rough but that takes the cake. so bumpy.
i didn’t push it the way i wanted to push it. it was about, almost taking a bit of a safe route down there and, yeah wait for the super g hopefully. [ashley] just corey getting that sixth really boosts his confidence for a start but also, i think he suddenly realised that yes, the paralympics is a big thing, but actually it’s the same field that he
races week in week out at world cup, and he can mix it with the best. [commentator] the start of the men’s giant slalom, sitting category about to get underway. men’s giant slalom track from theable-bodied olympics is a perfect track and rabl who’s skied what seemsto be a pretty decent run and stops the clock at one eighteen eighty seven. corey peters of new zealand, fourth in the world cup standingsfor the giant slalom.
can he find that little bit extrato make it onto the podium? corey peters, going to be close to rabl’s time. he leads by point seven seven. great run from corey peters! [narrator] on the second runeveryone’s pushing the limits. [commentator] second run ofthe men’s giant slalom. will he be inside or have theline errors cost him? seven one hundred. roman rabl. to secure himselfa third winter paralympic medal.
rabl, leads, two thirty three point three one. he found a bucket load of time. kunz is going to be close, is he inside it? yes he is! corey peters, the quickest skier after run one. leads the way. peters getting bumped up into the air. as he comes down this late jump pitch, this is a key part of the track.
if he can still have the green light at the time check he should be able toski the bottom half quickly. but he’s point three seventhe wrong side of the clock. six tenths of a second, so it’s definitely possible for corey peters towin new zealand’s first medals of these games. corey peters for the gold! or is it silver? he’s outside! it’s a silver medal for corey peters.
[interviewer] silver medalist mate!how does that feel? [corey] yeah it’s pretty unbelievable really. obviously i knew giant slalomwas my favorite event but to come out and throw downa podium is just unbelievable really. [announcer] silver medalist, representing new zealand, corey peters [commentator] corey peters of new zealand, he led after the first run
but couldn’t quite find the same sort of line and speed in run two, but he’ll be delighted with that silver medal. [corey] i don’t want to be remembered as, the tenth best sit skier, or the fifteenth you know. i want to be remembered as, you know, the best. once you get one podium you just want to keep getting on them.
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