Joe Tompkins

Sport: Alpine Skiing
Residence: Juneau, Alaska

Joseph Tompkins was a recreational skier before he was in car accident in 1988 that left him paralyzed and without the use of his legs.

In January 1989, he started as an arroya sled “sit skier” at the Eaglecrest Ski area in Juneau. He rapidly progressed to a mono-ski in the following years. In 1996, thanks to the Juneau Lions Disabled Ski Program and local and Native Corporation donations, he enrolled in the heralded disabled ski program at Winter Park, CO. He has since become one of the most competitive Paralympic ski racers in the world.

Joe represented the U.S. at the 2002 Paralympic Games in Salt Lake City. In January 2004, Tompkins won gold in the Super-G at the World Cup event in Austria and in March 2005, he took the Downhill gold medal at the Disabled World Cup in Switzerland. Tompkins went on to compete at the 2006 Winter Paralympic Games in Torino, Italy.

Tompkins is the founder of The Extreme Edge Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that supports, promotes and recruits current and aspiring elite athletes from around the world, including those competing with disabilities and those who are able-bodied. In addition to his phenomenal ski record, he is an active motivational speaker, addressing audiences at corporate sponsored events, victim’s panels, school groups and organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.).

He also uses his considerable experience and accomplishments to help U.S. Paralympics® founding sponsor, The Hartford, positively change public attitudes and perceptions toward disability.