Mike Schultz competing in the Snowmobile Adaptive SnoCross final during X Games Aspen 2014. Photo courtesy Matt Morning/ESPN Images
Adaptive athlete Mike Schultz, aka “The Monster,” might just eat up the competition at this week’s Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado. Schultz made history as the first athlete to win gold in different sports in both the winter and summer X Games, with Moto X Racing Adaptive gold medals in 2010 and 2013 and four Snowmobile SnoCross Adaptive golds. He’s hoping to up the ante this week, competing in both SnoCross Adaptive and the first-ever Snowboarder X Adaptive event.
“The plan was for SnoCross Adaptive, and I got the word that I was invited to compete in the Snowboarder X Adaptive competition as well. I’ll be a busy guy this year! I have competed only one time since 2012, but have spent quite a bit of time on a snowboard, so I feel much more prepared for it going into this X Games,” Schultz says. “I’m always up for a new challenge and to see if I can push myself in new sports.”
The St. Cloud, Minnesota, native had already made his mark on the action-sports stage as a multi-talented able-bodied athlete before transitioning to adaptive competition following a tragic accident. He had showcased his talent on the snowmobile in five Winter X Games before losing a limb following an on-course accident in 2008. A severe compound fracture led to the amputation of his left leg above the knee.
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The setback hasn’t seemed to slow Schultz down. He founded a company that helps advocate for amputees who want to continue an active lifestyle. His signature never-give-up attitude and indelible spirit have paved the way for other adaptive athletes to train and compete using the innovative “Moto Knee,” a durable, versatile mechanical knee that Schultz helped engineer through BioDapt, Inc., the sports-prosthetics company he launched in 2010.
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The Moto Knee, which uses a patented linkage system and a Fox mountain bike shock, helped Schultz return to X Games on his dirt bike, winning a silver medal in his first showing as an adaptive athlete. His company’s Versa Foot will also assist Schultz in his first attempt at the Snowboarder X Adaptive event at X Games Aspen 2015.
“I have been pretty dominant in the Adaptive SnoCross [discipline], so it will be a bit of a change since I’m definitely not at the same level as the top Adaptive Boarder X riders like Evan Strong, Mike Shea, and Keith Gable,” Schultz says. “Having another chance at X Games hardware is always a plus, and even though I may not have the straight-up speed to beat these guys, it is Boarder X and anything can happen. My number-one goal will be to keep the wax side down and keep a good, fast pace.”
All eyes will be on Schultz as he attempts to add a new record to the books. He competes Fri., Jan. 23, in the Snowboarder X Adaptive semifinal and final events (beginning 12:30 p.m. PST), then moves on to the Snowmobile SnoCross Adaptive final on Sun., Jan. 25, at 11 a.m. PST. Check the X Games Aspen 2015 official tune-in schedule for broadcast information.
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