Canadian Paralympic alpine skiier Alexis Guimond completed a successful 2022 Beijing Paralympic Games earning a second bronze medal, though he wasn’t satisfied with the result.
His goal is always to win anytime he gets on the hill.
Back-to-back bronzes in the last two Paralympics are nice, but he wants more.
“Winning bronze meant a lot to me, but that’s not what I was aiming for,” Guimond said, in a video call on Friday. “It was kind of gut-wrenching because I know that I have the skill to be on the top step.”
At only 22 years of age, the Gatineau, Que., native has plenty to look forward to. He knows that there are several competitions and time to improve before the next Paralympics.
“In Milan, I will be aiming for that top step in every single event,” he said. “I don’t think it is unrealistic to aim that high either.”
Confidence appears to be sky high for the young athlete, something that was not always the case growing up with a disability.
At just six months old, Guimond was involved in an accident that resulted in full paralysis on the right side of his body. At age 12, the youngster had a stroke that caused partial paralysis in the left side of his body, leaving him in a coma for two weeks.
“When I had my stroke at 12, it was an eye opener for me. It was the first time I felt weak,” he said. “I really gained more of an appreciation for life in general and the opportunities that I have.”
One of these opportunites fulfiolled had been with him since a young age.
“I really pushed myself because a dream of mine at the time was to go to the Paralympics,” said Guimond, who won bronze at PyongChang, in 2018, in giant slalom, followed by another third, in Super G, at Beijing.
Now his goal turns to getting that elusive gold medal in 2026.