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One more time for Paralympian legend Brian McKeever

The Para Nordic cross-country skier said he will race two more seasons and compete at the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games before retiring
BrianMcKeever2020
Decorated Paralympian Brian McKeever powers through the Frozen Thunder course on Monday (Oct. 19) at the Canmore Nordic Centre. JORDAN SMALL RMO PHOTO
CANMORE – There is one final run left in Brian McKeever.

The Paralympian great, widely considered one of the best Para Nordic skiers ever, said he’s racing two more seasons before calling it quits with the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games as the catalyst to end his legendary career on.

“I think it will be declaring it as an end point,” said McKeever, 41. “As much as I enjoy this, I have to face facts that I’m pretty old with my beard getting longer and greyer every day – it’s time.”

Sporting a stringy beard of salt and pepper, McKeever took to the Frozen Thunder course on Monday (Oct. 19) at the Canmore Nordic Centre for his first on-snow training of 2020-21.

The ironman of the Rockies has 13 gold medals, two silver and two bronze at five Paralympics, and 16 world titles to his name over his decorated career.

Gliding in a effortless stride along Frozen Thunder, McKeever felt with every push on the snow loop his more than two decade long career of competitions and injuries.

“I think when you’re in your 40s and you’re still trying to compete with young guys and be a professional that there is no such thing as being refreshed,” he said with a laugh before taking a more serious tone.

“I think the biggest thing is just the body breaking down and doesn’t recover, so I’m in constant pain every day and as much as I can put that aside, it’s a job, you start to realize. It’s tough waking up every morning and barely being able to walk and going to bed at night and having pain all night. It wakes me up in the middle of the night and that stuff starts to weigh on you pretty heavily.”

The Canmore athlete said he doesn’t have any goals this season, but everything he’s been suffering for in training is for Beijing.

At the 2018 Winter Paraympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, McKeever won three gold medals and a bronze.

McKeever is living with Stargardt’s disease, which impairs vision acuity, and he is guided by Russell Kennedy and Graham Nishikawa.

Nordiq Canada's Para Nordic head coach Robin McKeever said the training volume for his brother "is at a different level" than any other vision impaired athlete in the world.

"He’ll be 42, 43 years old at Beijing, so this is a great career and the body isn't holding up to the training and all the requirements that he throws at himself and how hard he trains – it’s been a patchwork quilt keeping it all together for the past four years," said Robin.

"Even leading into PyeongChang, there was some questions about overuse injuries and what not. It’s hard work as an athlete and to keep it going as long as Brian has is a good feat."

Robin added that his brother's push towards the Paralympics, even in his 40s, is far from a riding off into sunset moment.

"If this was just a retirement party effectively, then he wouldn't be working so hard at it," he said with a laugh.

McKeever doesn’t think he’ll stop skiing after Beijing – or stop racing for that matter. However, he said this is his days of high level competitive are winding down.

“[Beijing] gives me mentally as well a place to close it out and then gives me some time to think about what else to do,” he said. “Of course that’s difficult and at least it’s making me aware that there’s a need to transition and shift focus and think about it.”

Out of skis, McKeever shows "second to none leadership" with the national Para Nordic team, which had record-breaking results at PyeongChang with 28 medals.

"The strong suit of the whole Para Nordic team is working together and the team culture and the culture that we've created," said Robin.

New CEO of Nordiq Canada Stéphane Barrette said McKeever has been a exceptional role model, not just for Para athletes, but the cross-country skiing community as whole.

"I think that will always likely be what he's the most proud of in his career is not only all of the medals he’ll have won and Paralympic titles, but what they actually mean," Barrette said. 

"Not just for him, but the community and that is tremendously rewarding when you retire knowing how big of an impact you had over all these years and how it will continue going forward." 


Jordan Small

About the Author: Jordan Small

An award-winning reporter, Jordan Small has covered sports, the arts, and news in the Bow Valley since 2014. Originally from Barrie, Ont., Jordan has lived in Alberta since 2013.
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