Cory Duhaime is a young man with autism who has passion for ski racing.
This week, the 23-yearold from Tsawwassen and the rest of Team B.C. flew to Edmonton for the Special Olympics' National Winter Games. He will then travel to Marmot Basin Ski Resort in Jasper, where he will compete against athletes from across the country. The National Games are also a qualifier for Special Olympics World Winter Games to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2013.
Duhaime's journey to Jasper began in 2007 when he competed in his first Provincial Games and placed third in each of the Slalom, Giant Slalom, and Super G events. While that performance did not allow him to qualify for the National Games in 2008, he set his sights on the next Provincial Games in 2011 and there he won gold in each of those events, qualifying him for Jasper.
He has been working hard for several years to improve his racing, and that has included several weeklong race camps in Oregon, Colorado, and Whistler, where last July he had the chance to race head to head against former Canadian ski racer Britt Janyk.
After several months of dryland training last fall, when he could often be seen working out at Winskill Park, Duhaime has been training and racing three or four times a week at Cypress and Whistler since mid-December.
A well-rounded athlete, he is a current Special Olympics national champion in both individual and team 5 Pin Bowling and also participates in several other sports with Special Olympics Delta, namely softball, basketball, and weight training. He is the first athlete ever to represent Special Olympics Delta in both the Summer and Winter National Games.
When not training Duhaime works part-time as a customer service cerk at the Tsawwassen Safeway.
Special Olympics British Columbia Delta is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing high-quality sports programs and competitions to meet the needs and interests of individuals with intellectual disabilities, enriching their lives, and celebrating personal achievement through positive sports experiences. To learn more, visit www. sobcdelta.blogspot. com. You can also learn more about Duhaime's story at www.racewithcory. blogspot.com.
