The 2018 PyeongChang Paralympic Games kicked off on Friday (March 9). The Opening Ceremony began with a performance by Korean drummers in an interpretation of a traditional welcoming ceremony called a “bin-rye”. The theme, “Passion Moves Us”, explains that passion creates a world of coexistence among all, with or without impairments.
This year’s Paralympics is said to be the biggest to date, with 576 athletes from 50 nations competing in 80 events. From snowboarding and alpine skiing to sled hockey and wheelchair curling, here are some athletes from Team U.S.A to watch for at this year’s games:
- Mike Schultz, who designed his own prosthesis and was the flag bearer in the Opening Ceremony, will be competing in snowboarding.
- Rico Roman will be competing in sled hockey; he won gold at Sochi in 2014.
- Oksana Masters, a three-time Paralympic medalist will be competing in biathlon and cross-country skiing.
- Declan Farmer is one of the leading scorers competing in sled hockey.
- Andrew Kurka is expected to ski in five events this year.
- Amy Purdy, who won bronze at the 2014 Sochi games, hopes to grab the gold in snowboarding.
Check out the schedule of events and watch live coverage of the games here.
These athletes are the epitome of perseverance, breaking through each and every obstacle they’ve faced on their way to competing in PyeongChang 2018. Good luck Team U.S.A.!
