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Attitude Corey's medal

ChannelTV One
Date Broadcast Sunday 20 July 2014
Start Time08 : 30
Finish Time09 : 00
Duration30:00
Series2014
Episode16

Sit-skier Corey Peters won NZ's only medal at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. From newcomer to medallist, we look back over Peter's remarkable journey and the race that won him silver.

A inspiring weekly special interest programme for New Zealanders living with disabilities.

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INTENSE MUSIC I'm putting all my time and effort, pursue this goal of mine of becoming the best monoskier in the world. Up, up, up, up! Barely four years after a motocross accident left him paralysed, Corey Peters arrived at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. He's here to compete in the most dangerous alpine event on the schedule ` the sit-ski. Ohh! And he comes to grief now! Oh! And another one falls in sight of the finish. Ooh, that's a big stack! Probably there's a lot of people out there saying, 'Why would you wanna do a sport like that?' Corey Peters of NZ. I've just got this thing where I'm super-competitive when it comes to sport, and I just wanna be the best. RADIO: Welcome to Cardrona Alpine Resort on Tuesday, 24th of September. Cardrona is open today. Uh, a bit of cloud around this morning. It's plus-1� degrees at base, and predominantly a fine day. I love waking up and going to training every day, even though it is early and cold. I mean, it gives you a focus. I've got goals set that I wanna try and achieve within the next six years. The big goal is for me to participate in the Paralympics in Sochi, Russia. And then following that, um, the big goal is to bring home a medal in 2018. In his bid to follow his dreams, Corey's uprooted his life in New Plymouth, rented out his house and moved to Wanaka. In a way, you've gotta be a little bit selfish. You're leaving your friends and family behind to go travel halfway around the world to ski-race, basically. I guess it's a little bit out of my comfort zone, but it's about me pursuing this goal of mine. Corey is a paraplegic, a result of a motocross accident four years ago. Corey can still walk small distances with crutches, but spends 90% of his time in a wheelchair. My spinal cord wasn't completely severed or completely damaged. So I still have the function of having my core, my arms and hand function and things like that. Just a year after his injury, Corey was introduced to sit-skiing at a sports expo in Taranaki. He was hooked. Soon he was off to Wanaka for an adaptive snow sports have-a-go day. The first few times on the mountain, there was a lot of falling over, just trying to come to grips with the balance and coordination of it all, I guess. Within three days I was coming down the mountain solo. Well, basically, we start off with the monoski, which is, um, something like a bucket that we sit in, and it's got an aluminium frame with a shock to absorb all the bumps as we come down the mountain. We use these outriggers for, basically, balance, and they have a small ski on the bottom. That's the ride position. And then to pull yourself along in the queue, we flick them up into that position, which gives you stability on the snow. If you can see this, this is what we call a brake. They're compulsory in racing, in case you crash. It's to help slow you down. But basically, I can get the bucket right down on the snow, and, um, get it back over on to the other side. ATMOSPHERIC GUITAR MUSIC Before my accident, I was really outgoing. Into any sport I could get my hands, you know, into. My main sports, in my early days, were, like, rugby. And then that changed to surfing and motocross. PIANO MUSIC, MUTED ENGINES The morning of the race, we drove from Taranaki up to Taupo. I didn't really know the track, so we had a couple of warm-up laps before my race. And then, when it come race time, it was just on, and just went too fast over a jump. That was where I was instantly paralysed on landing. The first 12 months were my darkest days, really, just trying to come to terms with such a serious injury, and just trying to adjust to a new life. Yeah, it was certainly the most challenging time of my life. GENTLE GUITAR MUSIC There's a lot of different steps of acceptance and grief, and there's different phases that you go through, but I think eventually you come out the other end. And finding the sport was really critical for me to, um, pick yourself back up and get back on with life, really. On the mountain, Adaptive Snow Sports NZ quickly saw Corey's potential. To have those guys notice a bit of talent in me, that gave me quite a bit of confidence back. And it's just good that people could see the best in you, no matter what your circumstances are. Then he met Snow Sports NZ's head coach, Scott Olson, who encouraged him to qualify for Sochi. He said to me there's an organisation in Colorado called the National Sports Center for Disabled, and that's where they do a lot of the training and ski racing. So he, sort of` yeah, he basically just asked if I'd like to come over, and I jumped at the chance. Up, up, up, up! FUNKY GUITAR MUSIC Corey took to monoskiing like a fish to water. Corey was racing` Within a couple of weeks he was participating in a race at Mt Hutt. Um, we recognised raw talent right there ` the drive, the enthusiasm, the excitement that Corey had within him. And within three to four weeks, he was keeping up with everybody else on the hill. There's a lot of similarities between motocross and monoskiing. Firstly, you've got a shock under you to absorb bumps and terrain. In terms of, like, race line, there's similarities where you wanna come into corners with good body position and good balance. Just try and rail those turns as best as you can. MUSIC INTENSIFIES As soon as the last light fades on the mountain, Corey hits the gym. Over the last couple of years of me skiing, I've been learning how to become an athlete and how to train and what to eat and what to work in the gym. It's just been a` a huge learning curve, and it's just started to all come together. The 2013 world championships in La Molina, Spain, is Corey's first chance to impress on the world stage. Good results here would mean an increase in funding. There is expectations on me to perform, in order for me to get the funding from Snow Sports NZ. I try not to put too much stress on myself mentally, but, I mean, physically, I wanna be able to push myself as far as I can. There are very few people that could even make this transition in a two-year period, to go from never skiing to a world cup-level racer, and Corey is-is gonna do it. He will do that this year, mark my words. PA ANNOUNCEMENT ECHOES With 500 athletes, the world championships are the biggest event outside the Winter Paralympics. All the top skiers are here. Yeah, basically, the world champs is the next step down from the Paralympics, so I've skipped Europa Cup and world cups and gone to the top, you know? So these guys are basically the best in the world. To qualify for Sochi, Corey needs to attend events like this. Each time he races, he gathers points. The more points, the better his world ranking. He needs to prove he can finish in the top six. Corey's been skiing for two years maximum. So when we say we're trying to fast-track talent, we are doing exactly that. And we teach them how to be, you know, world-round athletes, travelling, being part of a team, just as early as we do good technique and how to get fast on a ski. So, yeah, look, hopefully Sochi is a reality for Corey, to get there and qualify. Our selection criteria means that we take pretty competitive people, so if he reaches that criteria to get to Sochi, then he's well on his way to medalling in, uh, in Korea. TENSE MUSIC One! Each new mountain brings new challenges and new risks. At speeds of 120km/h, there's always more than medals at stake. Probably there's people out there saying, 'Why do you wanna do a sport like that?' It's got just as much risks, if not more, than motocross. When I'm in a race course, I don't think I really think back to that motocross race. I kinda just take the new mountain or hill` just take it as it is, really. Let's go, Corey. INTENSE MUSIC And here he is. Corey Peters, 26th position. 1.10:95. Um, the course was fast. It was pretty slick out there. I think I did pretty well on that top section. I was only just over a second out. Basically, you've gotta get into a tuck and get your outriggers up, try and break that wind, try and get as aerodynamic as possible, which I thought I did pretty well. But, um, yeah, just a couple of mistakes on my line on this bottom section. Probably gave it away a little bit. But all in all, pretty stoked with my first super G world cup. Natsume from Japan. Corey's now seen how good the best sit-skiers in the world are. It's renewed his drive and focus towards qualifying for Sochi. And it made me realise where I need to be and where I wanna be. I'm really focused on becoming the best skier than I can and competing with those guys. And I guess that comes down to putting in the hard yards in the gym. Um, and I've got a good support team behind me, um, working on a lot of functional stuff to make me a better skier. So, this exercise is really functional for what I do as a sit-skier. Having a strong core is crucial, um, you know, to have good balance and stability on your ski. I mean, the speeds we get up to on a racecourse can be up to about 120 K. Coming through a turn at that speed, there's a lot of forces going on, so you really need to be strong to enable you to come through the turn nicely without crashing. What's your thoughts? Um... It looks like I... It looks to me like I'm pressuring a little bit late. Always trying to find that next little advantage, Corey's enlisted international alpine coach Ben Adams to look at his technique. If you look at especially the turns to the left here, but then look at the set-up, you can see the whole body's inclined in, so it's basically causing you to come round this area, where you could probably be coming up a little big closer up by the gate. If I continue to do that, with these races coming up at Coronet Peak, I think, um, that's certainly help my confidence coming into those races. It's the 2013 Wanaka Winter Games. It's a world cup qualifier, with a full schedule of Olympic and Paralympic events. It will be Corey's chance to see how far he's improved since the world championships six months ago. But the end of the winter season is causing havoc with conditions. Well, Coronet's generally renowned for being quite hard. You know, they don't call it Concrete Peak for nothing. But unseasonal warm weather is probably gonna make the snow quite soft. The last week we've been training in really soft stuff up at Cardrona there. So potentially, it should go well, as long as I just do what I've been doing in training. The progression of Corey has been one of trust. Going through course inspection, picking out a line, going over tactics with him and having him trust that if he gets the right line, if he uses the right tactic, that the speed will be there for him. Uh, where in the past, Corey has looked to go straight down the hill and go fast, and the tactics have lacked; this time, Corey has matured so much. Go! Pre-race nerves are quite normal, no matter what sport you're doing ` whether it's car racing or motocross or ski racing, you know? Go. And on course. Corey Peters from NZ. Was 10th in the giant slalom at the world championships in Molina in Spain. He's certainly a handy slalom skier as well. Now... second is good. He'd love first. He'll have to set the marker down with only one skier to go. But this is a charge. Great run and a nice finish. CROWD CHEERS Corey's nailed it with a silver medal. The result pushes his world ranking into the top 20 and qualifies him for Sochi. We've been working pretty hard with the training and things, and it's good to see some of those, you know, good techniques coming out in the racing and just growing in confidence, really. Second place. From NZ, Corey Peters. SPECTATORS CHEER I've come a long way in the last 12 months. I think that comes down to, you know, goal setting, working hard, and some of the coaches, their information and knowledge that they've given me. First world cup race, and to get a podium is, um` yeah, it's unheard of, probably. Yeah, I'm pretty stoked with that, and hopefully it's one of many. MAJESTIC MUSIC Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the opening ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games! The scale of the Paralympics can be overwhelming. Walking into a stadium of 50,000 people can really put pressure on a young athlete. You know, raise the flag, and it was, you know, quite touching, really. Four years ago, I didn't think that I would be here. (SPEAKS RUSSIAN) DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS FIREWORKS CRACK First day of the alpine competition, and the conditions are far from ideal. Warmer-than-expected temperatures have melted a lot of the snow. The slopes will be treacherous. It's gonna be a challenge. I suppose from our part of the world, coming from NZ, where we get similar conditions ` rain, uh, warmer, sometimes cold ` our guys are used to skiing, snowboarding in tough conditions. Um, Winter Games last year was very similar. So we've prepared for it, and it'll be the same for all the nations. It'll be, uh` It'll be down to who's prepared the best. ELECTRONIC MUSIC The super G is one of the fastest events in alpine skiing. The condition of the course is steadily getting worse, with each new athlete adding deeper grooves into the snow. Gonna smash the time! Under 1.20 ` 1.19:51. Kano leads by two seconds. And that time is gonna take some beating. Only a slight bump can start a cartwheel, leaving skiers tumbling across the mountain. Already 14 skiers have not made it to the finish. If you're down the starting line-up, like Corey, it only gets more dangerous. So, Corey Peters of NZ. Nearly five seconds off the pace. Pretty bumpy, it is now. Peters there in sight of the finish. He will post a time in his first Winter Paralympic race. He's fifth ` 6.6 seconds off the pace. CHEERING I got to about the third gate and I thought, 'Shit, I'm in for a bit of a rodeo ride here.' Sure enough, it was a really bumpy course. Over half the field I think crashed out. Yeah, first Paralympic race, and managed to finish, which is` it's a bonus. Being his first Paralympics, Corey wasn't expecting the amount of public interest in him. I got a bit mobbed by the locals. Made you feel quite cool, like, quite proud. You know, getting the sign` They were all running up to you getting you to sign their bits of paper and things like that, and wanting photos with you, and that's something I haven't really experienced before. In amongst the throngs of fans is Corey's dad. Not every parent that actually gets to see one of their offspring actually make it to an Olympic Game, let alone a Paralympic Game, you know, so, uh, what is it, four, five, coming up five years that he's had his accident, he's just come away in leaps and bounds, you know? The doors have just opened up for him. The Paralympics is an intense experience, so you need space to be able to relax your body and mind. Team NZ's base in the Athletes' Village has been created with this in mind. It's a bit like a Dunedin flat full of your best mates. But there's always the constant thought of competition in the back of your mind. Yeah, the crowds are really good. The skiers come over that last patch, and they just erupt into a loud cheer. Corey being in a wheelchair and a sit-ski, he works his arms, back, neck, shoulders a lot, so it can get quite tight. So we work on it each day to keep things loose so he's fresh and fighting fit for competition in the coming days. By day seven, the conditions haven't improved at all. Oh no. No, no, no, no. And he gets bounced out. Now Corey Peters of NZ. Another super-combined star of the season. 8.93 off the pace. Oh! And that has killed it. On the flattest part of the track, Corey Peters. 4.53. He goes seventh for the time being. He's finished. CHEERING Yeah, I thought the super G was rough, but that takes the cake. So bumpy. See, I didn't push it the way I wanted to push it. It was about... almost taking a bit of a safe route down there and, uh, yeah, wait for the super G, hopefully. Just Corey getting that sixth really boosted his confidence for a start, but it also... I think he's realised that, yes, the Paralympics is a big thing, but actually, it's the same field as he races week in, week out at world cup, and, uh, he can mix it with the best. TENSE, PERCUSSIVE MUSIC The start of the men's giant slalom. Sitting category about to get underway. BEEPING Men's giant slalom track from the able-bodied Olympics is a perfect track, and Rabl has skied what seems to be a pretty decent run, and stops the clock at 1.18:87. Corey Peters of NZ. Fourth in the world cup standings for giant slalom. Can he find that little bit extra to make it on to the podium? Corey Peters ` gonna be close to Rabl's time! He leads by 0.77! Great run from Corey Peters. On the second run, everyone's pushing the limits. The second run of the men's giant slalom. TENSE MUSIC Will he be inside, or have the line errors cost him? Ooh, seven one-hundredths. Roman Rabl, to secure himself a third Winter Paralympic medal. Rabl... leads. 2.33:31. He found a bucket load of time. Kunz is gonna be close. Is he inside it? Yes, he is. Corey Peters. Quickest here after run one. Leads the way. Peters getting bumped up into the air as he comes down this late jump pitch. This is a key part of the track. If he can still have the green light at the time check, he should be able to ski the bottom half quick. Well, he's 0.37 the wrong side of the clock. Six-tenths of a second, so it's definitely possible for Corey Peters to win NZ's first medals at these games. CROWD CHEERS Corey Peters for the gold, or is it silver? He's outside! It's silver medal for Corey Peters! Silver medallist, mate. How does that feel? > Yeah, it's pretty unbelievable, really. Um, you know, obviously, I knew giant slalom was my favourite event, but to come out and throw down a podium is just unbelievable, really. Silver medallist, representing NZ. Corey Peters. Mr Corey Peters of NZ. He led after the first run, but couldn't quite find the same sort of line and speed in run two. But he'll be delighted with that silver medal. I don't wanna be remembered as, like, the 10th best sit-skier or the 15th, you know, I wanna be remembered as the best. Once you get one podium, you just wanna keep getting on them. INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC There's a lot of quiet achievers out there, and we want to shout about them. But we need you to nominate them for an Attitude Award. There are categories covering everything from sport, the arts, outstanding youth, and making a difference in the community. It's easy. Just go to attitudeawards.org and fill in the form. Nominations close on July 10th. Copyright Able 2014 ITFC Subtitles www.tvnz.co.nz/access-services Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. TVNZ Access Services 2013

Attitude Corey's medal

Sit-skier Corey Peters won NZ's only medal at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. From newcomer to medallist, we look back over Peter's remarkable journey and the race that won him silver.

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