Chris Devlin-Young

Sport: Alpine Skiing
Residence: Campton, New Hampshire

When "Coach" Chris Devlin-Young tells his students at the New England Disabled Ski Team how to do something on their mono-ski, they know he's speaking from experience. He won the Paralympics SuperG at the 2002 Paralympic Winter Games and took silver - just .17 seconds - behind his teammate in the downhill. And he closed the season winning the U.S. Super G and GS titles. Obviously, he knows how to rip on a mono-ski. He holds the record as the first disabled skier to win Paralympics titles in two classes.

Chris was paralyzed in a 1982 plane crash in Alaska while serving in the U.S. Coast Guard. Chris started his skiing career as a stand-up skier, four-tracking. As a four-tracker in his first six seasons with the U.S. Paralympic Ski Team he won the Slalom at the 1994 Paralympics. After taking a 3 year break from the team, he returned to the sport of ski racing but now as a mono-skier.

As a member of the U.S. Paralympic team, Chris had his best season ever on the 2003-2004 World Cup circuit. Competing in the Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super G and Downhill, Chris had 14 podium appearances, 11 of which were gold medal performances. He finished second in the overall World Cup standings.

Devlin-Young continues to improve with age and experience because in 2005, he won five World Cup races, the Super G title and finished second in the overall World Cup. He went on to conclude his season with three gold medals at The Hartford U.S. Disabled Alpine Championships in Vail, CO. "I know now that I can win at any race on any hill at any time," he said, "and that's the best confidence booster I've had since I learned to ski."

Also in 2005 Chris participated and won the first ever sit-skier Mono Cross at the X Games in Aspen, CO.

The 2006 season was a familiar one once again for Chris as he won the silver medal in the downhill at the Winter Paralympics in Torino, Italy. He also finished second overall in the World Cup points and finished his season with three gold races at the Hartford U.S. Disabled Alpine Championships.

His tenacity and unflinching focus on maximizing his abilities to achieve success embody The Hartford's belief that the sky is the limit when we focus on what someone can do, instead of on what he can't do.