Mike Schultz Winter Paralympic Athlete

Early Life Mike Schultz is a para snowboarder from , United States. His date of birth is 8th July 1981. Mike has always enjoyed snow sports and was a successful racer. He was given the nickname ‘Monster Mike’ in 2003 because of his aggressive riding style.

In 2008, at the age of 27, Mike was competing in a SnoCross race when his snowmobile went off course, causing him to be thrown from the vehicle. The accident resulted in a damaged knee and following a number of operations, Mike had to have his left leg amputated from above the knee.

Glossary Amputated – when someone has a limb removed in an operation.

Prosthetic – a man-made body part.

Positive Thinking The accident happened when Mike was in the top five in the world for snowmobile .

However, Mike refused to let the accident beat him and was determined to take part in sports again. He decided to build his own prosthetic leg so that this was possible. He went on to set up his own business called BioDapt where he makes prosthetics for people who have had a limb amputated. These prosthetics are designed for athletes who enter high-speed competitions. Sensation Mike needed to test out the prosthetics through a range of . While snowboarding, he realised he really enjoyed it and was quite good at it too!

• In 2010, he became the first person to win a gold medal at the and the Winter X Games in the same year but in different sports.

• In 2017, Mike won gold in the US Paralympics National Snowboarding Championships in the snowboard cross race.

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• His ambition is to win two gold medals in the 2018 Winter Paralympics in South Korea but has said, “I would be pretty pumped to bring home two medals of any colour.”

Hobbies and Interests Mike enjoys other hobbies such as motorcross, horse riding, and off-road 4×4 driving.

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Early Sporting Life Mike Schultz, born on 8th July 1981, is a professional para snowboarder from Minnesota, United States. As a child, Mike wanted to get involved with racing. His father told him, “If you want something in life, you need to work for it.” Mike did exactly this and got a job to pay for his new hobby. He later went on to become a successful snowmobile racer and, in 2003, was given the nickname 'Monster Mike' due to his aggressive riding style. In 2008, at the age of 27, Mike was competing in a SnoCross race when his snowmobile drifted off course, resulting in him being thrown from the vehicle. The incident caused life-changing injuries and following several operations, Mike had to have his left leg amputated from above the knee. A Change of Direction The accident happened when Mike was in the top five in the world for snowmobile racing. It would have been easy for Mike to have let the accident defeat him. Instead, he began to design and build his own prosthetic leg to enable him to take part in sports again. The process took two years. He went on to set up his own prosthetic manufacturing business making prosthetics for people who have had a limb amputated. These prosthetics are designed for athletes who enter high-speed competitions. Snowboarding Sensation Mike trialled the prosthetics when doing different snow sports. While snowboarding, he realised he not only enjoyed it but had quite a talent for it. His friends encouraged him to enter competitions. His first competition, the Adaptive Boardercross event, resulted in him coming in last place but he said, “I knew I could improve.” In 2010, he went on to become the first person to win a gold medal at the X Games and the Winter X Games in the same year but in different sports. He went on to further sporting success in 2017, winning gold in the US Paralympics National Snowboarding Championships in the snowboard cross race. His ambition is to win two gold medals in the 2018 Winter Paralympics in South Korea but says, “I would be pretty pumped to bring home two medals of any colour.”

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Early Sporting Life Mike Schultz, a professional para snowboarder from Minnesota, United States, was born in July 1981. As a child, Mike was keen to get involved with motocross racing. His father’s advice was, “If you want something in life, you need to work for it.”

So, Mike got a job to fund his new hobby. He went on to become a successful snowmobile racer and, in 2003, was given the nickname 'Monster Mike' as a result of his aggressive riding style. A Life-Changing Moment In 2008, at the age of twenty-seven, Mike was competing in a SnoCross race when his snowmobile drifted off course, resulting in him being thrown from the vehicle. The accident caused life-changing injuries and following several operations, the decision was made that Mike was to have his left leg amputated from above the knee.

It would have been easy for Mike to have let the accident defeat him. He had been in the top five snowmobile racers in the world and at the top of his game. Instead, he began to design and build his own prosthetic leg to enable him to engage in sports again. The entire process took two years, during which time he needed to try a range of sports to trial the prosthetic. It was at this time that he tried snowboarding and realised he not only enjoyed it but also showed quite a skill for it.

Mike went on to set up his own prosthetic manufacturing business making prosthetics for amputees. These prosthetics are designed specifically for athletes who enter high-speed competitions. Snowboarding Sensation Mike’s friends encouraged him to enter competitions. In his first competition, the Adaptive Boardercross event, he came in last place but he said, “I knew I could improve.”

Mike persevered and, in 2010, he went on to become the first person to win a

Page 1 of 2 visit twinkl.com Mike Schultz gold medal at the X Games and the Winter X Games in the same year but in different sports. He went on to further sporting success in 2017, winning gold in the US Paralympics National Snowboarding Championships in the snowboard cross race.

During the Winter X Games in 2015, Mike suffered a heel fracture. It has taken surgery and two years to improve but he knows it will never be back to what it was.

Mike has reflected on his career and said, “All the goods and bads of being a professional athlete have taught me so many life lessons about how to go after goals and be a strong person, mentally and physically.”

His ambition is to win two gold medals in the 2018 Winter Paralympics in South Korea but he says, “I would be pretty pumped to bring home two medals of any colour.”

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