On the start line of an Alpine course, Andrew Kurka’s mind easily could spin out of control.

One mistake could mean the fence, or worse. Kurka knows that better than most — he’s broken bones, crashed out of races, and even competed at the Paralympics with serious injuries.

So before pushing out of the gate, the American sit-skier does something simple.

He whistles.

“It helps me focus on what I need to be focused on,” Kurka said. “That way, my mind isn't running a million miles an hour in a million different directions that don't really matter.” 

For Kurka, calm always has been hard-earned. The 34-year-old grew up in Palmer, Alaska and was once a dominant wrestler, winning six state titles before a devastating ATV accident at age 13 damaged three vertebrae in his spinal cord. Two years later, his physical therapist encouraged him to try mono-skiing through Challenge Alaska. What began as rehabilitation quickly turned into a new pursuit.

By 2010, he had joined the U.S. Paralympic Alpine Ski Team and quickly rose to the top of the sport. At the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, he delivered a breakthrough performance, winning gold in downhill and silver in super-G, becoming the first Paralympic medalist from Alaska. 

"Once every four years at the Games, it's kind of the largest stage that any Paralympic athlete ever gets a chance to be put on," Kurka said. "It helps mold and determine the rest of our lives."

But for Kurka, success never came without setbacks.

Injuries have followed the skier throughout his career, including crashes that prevented him from competing at the 2014 Paralympics and a broken nose, thumb and humerus bone he competed with while racing in Beijing four years ago. So when he arrived in Italy for this year's Paralympic Games, his goals changed.

"After the last games, I came into this one really wanting to prove to myself that I had what it took and that I had the possibility of really putting down the medal," Kurka said. "I didn't really care about getting a medal. To be honest, I focused on the process. I focused on setting my goals, and I just focused on doing my best getting here. I wanted to have a complete Games."

The approach reflects the way Kurka has rebuilt himself throughout his life: setting small, measurable goals and pushing toward them one step at a time. That philosophy carried him through his bronze-medal winning super-G race in Cortina, his third Paralympic medal overall.

"I did make mistakes in the process of my run, but my opponents made worse mistakes than I did, at least most of them," Kurka said. "I got real lucky and was able to pull it off. It was a tight, close race. The people who beat me earned it."

Super-G racing demands both precision and speed. Other athletes had an aerodynamic advantage, using specialized equipment designed to reduce drag with technology Kurka says is not yet widely available to U.S. skiers.  

"Some of my competitors are real fast, and they're getting an edge on me because they're creating aerodynamic additions to their Paralympic set skis," Kurka said. "I knew that I would have to take some risks in a few different areas that would have to make up for that."

For an athlete who has spent more than a decade on the U.S. team, Kurka has learned to appreciate the moments around the competition as much as the results. In Cortina, it’s the atmosphere that stands out.

“Italians, they’ve got the vibe,” he said. “They’re so happy to see you and so excited about sport. Especially the downhill, the super-G, there were so many people just from the town watching. When you see them around the town, they're just so happy to see you and so happy to have us here in the town. They're so excited about sport. It's such a family and sport orientated culture, and I love that."

Kurka is looking forward to having the complete Paralympic experience. Having missed out on previous iterations of the Opening Ceremony and only attending one Closing Ceremony, the Alaskan-native plans to enjoy the rest of his time at these Games, including the simple pleasures of being in Italy.

“Eating food,” he said when asked what he's planning on doing during his last few days. "I love the seafood, especially the seafood pastas, homemade pastas. You just can't get that hardly anywhere in the United States. You can literally taste the difference, and I love that."