The Paralympic opening ceremonies are underway in Sochi Friday, and there is one Vermonter taking part. Stephen Lawler will be competing in the giant slalom.
Lawler, who was born with spina bifida, has been skiing since he was about 10 years old. Erin Fernandez of Vermont Adaptive Ski And Sports says Lawler started racing on a mono ski when he was 12-years old, and from the beginning, he really excelled.
“He skied through high school with able-bodied kids at the race team level and then he hoped to make the U.S. ski team, so he moved out to Colorado and started training with the U.S. team after high school,” Fernandez said.
Lawler graduated from Burlington High School in 2009, and moved to Colorado to train. He’s been racing in World Cup races and moved up in the competitive level. Fernandez says Lawler was named to the team this year even though he’s recovering from shoulder surgery this summer.
Lawler will be taking part in the opening ceremonies today. He’ll compete on March 15.
