Andy Soule prepares for a race at the US Paralympics Nordic Skiing Festival at the Craftsbury, VT, Outdoor Center. Saturday was the fourth and final day of the competition. Soule, who joined the Army after Sept. 11, 2001, lost his legs to an IED while serving in Afghanistan. He was a medalist in the 2010 Paralympic Games in Vancouver. Below: Derek Zaplotinsky of Alberta, Canada, takes a downhill on a sit-ski; Craftsbury Green Team racer Hallie Grossman, left, with visually impaired skier Mia Zutter of Sun Prairie, WI, whom she guided on the race course; Mathieu St. Pierre of Quebec; and, at bottom, Minnesota’s Aaron Pike carves a corner on one ski. Contestants competed in cross-country ski racing and biathlon (skiing combined with target shooting). Click here for a gallery/slide show. Click here for information on the US Paralympics nordic team.
