Congratulations to Midland native Joe Kaczynski, Gold Medal Winner in the 5K Freestyle Cross Country Skiing event at the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria!
We came to know Joe this past winter when he and his Dad came to XC Ski HQ to see about getting some skis to use for competition. Joe is an exceptional athlete and has been very successful in a number of disciplines including distance running. He believed his stamina would suit him well for cross country ski racing, and he was right!
We helped Joe zero in on a few different pairs of classic skis, and after camber testing them, we settled on a great fitting pair of Fischers! Joe took them out on the snow for a demo, and they tested very well.
We invited Joe to come back and train as often as he could, and he did. Before going to Austria, Cross Country Ski Headquarters Instructor Jim Bradley enjoyed skiing with Joe, and helped him perfect his turning and snowplowing skills. Jim commented: “This athlete has a motor that never quits!”
Joe went on to make all of us very proud by winning the Gold with a time 23 minutes and 55.5 seconds! We look forward to seeing Joe this winter as he continues to train as our guest at Cross Country Ski Headquarters.
