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In Only His 2nd Year As An Alpine Skier, Matthew Brewer Will Represent Team USA At The 2022 Paralympics
Matthew Brewer will be competing in the 2022 Paralympic Games in Beijing.
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Dave Obzanski
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Courtesy Matthew Brewer
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Originally, Matthew Brewer aimed to make his Paralympics Debut at age 50.
But the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Italy were too distant for the athlete, who was born in Huntington Beach and spends time training in Los Angeles. Now, in just his second year as an alpine skier, Brewer beat back odds and made Team USA four years earlier than he had hoped — and this week, he'll compete on his sport's biggest stage in Beijing.
For that achievement, the 46-year-old credits Angel City Sports, a foundation for kids, adults and veterans with physical disabilities and visual impairments.
“I was a competitive snowboarder in my late 20s, early 30s. And I just really missed the competitiveness of competition,” Brewer said on AirTalk, our newsroom’s public affairs show. “So after I lost my legs, I decided to try adaptive sports with a great foundation out here in Los Angeles called Angel City Sports. “
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The snowboarding background also came in clutch in diving right into the highest level of his sport.
"Understanding edge control and understanding the fall line of the mountain and snow conditions varying from early in the season to midseason to late spring," he said. “All of these affect how one gets down the hill, whether it be on a snowboard or skis or a monoski."
Matthew Brewer has only been alpine skiing for two years. Still, he's representing Team USA at the 2022 Paralympic Games in Beijing.
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Wendy Remington
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Courtesy Matthew Brewer
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Brewer's legs are amputated, and some of his competitors have spinal cord injuries, but the level of disability determines the time factor; Brewer says that levels the playing field for competitors with minimal trunk control and spinal cord injuries.
He’s spent around 25 hours a week training, on top of spending time in the gym and meditating. But on Wednesday, he'll be on a flight to Beijing.
"I just try and go out and ski my best every day," Brewer said.
The Paralympics begin on Friday, March 4 and end on March 13.
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