At 13, an ATV accident damaged three vertebrae in Andrew Kurka's spinal cord. He had been a six-time Alaska state wrestling champion. Two years later, a physical therapist suggested he try a mono-ski through Challenge Alaska. By PyeongChang 2018, his second Games, he was standing at the top of a sitting downhill course as the first Alaskan ever to reach the Winter Paralympics, and he came home with gold in the downhill and silver in super-G.

He's heading to Milano Cortina 2026 for his fourth Games. Between competitions, he runs an accessible bed and breakfast in Alaska and recently earned his pilot's license.

He Built an Accessible B&B in Alaska, for Guests Like His

In Palmer, about 45 minutes north of Anchorage, Kurka runs the Golden Standard Bed and Breakfast. If you've ever tried to plan a trip with a wheelchair user and discovered that "accessible" on a website can mean almost anything, this place is the antidote. Kurka built it specifically for visitors with disabilities, with the kind of attention to detail that only comes from someone who has navigated the same systems his guests navigate.

The name is a nod to his gold medal, but it's also a commitment. He wants disabled guests to arrive somewhere that already works. No calls ahead to verify. No improvising around a bathroom that doesn't fit. Alaska's trails, wildlife, and wide open terrain are supposed to be for everyone, and he's built a property that takes that seriously.

For families who have felt the exhaustion of traveling with a child who uses adaptive equipment, it's a destination designed for you from the start, not retrofitted as an afterthought.

He Also Just Earned His Pilot's License

Through Able Flight, a nonprofit that trains people with physical disabilities to fly through a partnership with Purdue University, Kurka earned his sport pilot license. He describes being up in the air as a different kind of freedom, something you feel in your chest, a view of the world that rewrites your sense of what's possible.

His next plan is to become a sport pilot instructor and bring that experience to B&B guests. Someone could arrive in Palmer for a weekend, stay somewhere that was built for them, and leave having flown a plane.

Twenty Bones and a Motto

He's broken more than 20 bones over his career and kept competing. He also mentors students through Classroom Champions, a program that connects Olympic and Paralympic athletes with underserved classrooms.

"Stay stubborn, stay gritty, and don't quit," he told Olympics.com ahead of Milano Cortina.

What He's Chasing in Italy

Para alpine skiing at the sitting level requires navigating giant slalom, super-G, and downhill courses in a mono-ski at speeds that can exceed 80 miles per hour. The precision required at that speed, on a mountain, with nothing but outrigger poles for control, does not get simpler with age.

"When I think of the Milano Cortina Paralympics, I think of the exciting crowds, the fun, the party, the Italians. Come on," he said.

His events start March 6 at Cortina d'Ampezzo. And when it's over, the Golden Standard will be there waiting, ready for whoever shows up next and needs a place that was built with them in mind.