Mike Schultz: Everything you need to know about the Paralympic star ahead of Beijing 2022

Team USA snowboarder Mike Schultz could well be one of the stars of the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing, China.

The Minnesota native enjoyed a fantastic 2018 Games when he won gold in the SB-LL1 snowboard cross race, and added a silver in the banked slalom event.

Now, four years on, and at the age of 40, what can Schultz hope to achieve in Beijing? Here’s everything you need to know about the Team USA rider.

Schulz lost his left leg in a 2008 accident

Shultz has been a lifelong fan of all things action sports, a love affair that continued even after he had his leg amputated in 2008.

While competing in a snocross snowmobile race, the American drifted wide, flying off his machine, and landing on his left leg.

Having sustained a severe compound fracture to his knee, and undergone several surgeries, Schultz had his leg amputated.

Remarkably, this impairment wouldn’t deter the man from Litchfield from pursuing his sporting goals.

Discovering snowboard cross racing changed his life

Schultz initially started competing in motocross, going on to earn a silver medal at the X Games.

However, in 2009, only a year after his amputation, the man known as 'Monster Mike' discovered the sport that would change his life – snowboarding.

A decade after sustaining such a traumatic injury, he would leave PyeongChang 2018 with one gold and one silver medal to his name in para snowboard cross racing events.

The American founded a prosthetics company

Schultz’s legacy in the sport is so much more than medals, however.

The American rider has also established a prosthetics company, one that has helped transform Paralympic sports – and improve the lives of competing athletes.

Around 15-20 athletes would end up using a prosthetic produced by his company – BioDapt - at the 2018 Paralympics.

As Schultz states, in an interview with Esquire, working on his own prosthetics was a moment of clarity.

“I was just giddy," he said. "I had a smile on my face and my hands were shaking. I was so excited. I bolted them on and went over to my dirt bike and went for the first ride. Within a minute or two, I knew that this was going to work.”

He also recalls the moment that a fellow amputee planted the idea of trying snowboarding in his mind.

“He came up to me at the Winter X Games in 2010, and was like, ‘Hey, I heard you're working on this prosthetic leg. Is it going to work for snowboarding?’”

“I needed to learn how to snowboard myself in order to find that out, and that’s what launched my whole snowboarding career.”

Pride at helping his rivals

Fast forward to the present day, where teammates and rivals alike are both using prosthetics designed by Schultz’s company – which is a source of immense pride for the rider.

“And, you know, honestly one of the highlights of being part of the Paralympic snowboard program is working with all the other athletes…my teammates and also athletes from around the country,” he told Yahoo.

“And so I guess that's kind of unique for me compared to most athletes as you know I'm a competitor, but also I'm their prosthetic builder.

“As a businessman, I've got to share that technology with some of my competitors as well and hopefully they all are able to compete very well. That raises the bar in adaptive sports and I'm really proud I can be part of that.”

Schultz was Team USA’s flagbearer at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Paralympics

Alongside his other tremendous achievements, Schultz was also bestowed with the honour of being **Team USA’**s flagbearer at the 2018 Winter Olympic Parade of Nations during the Paralympic Games.

“I’m a huge patriot and what holds a lot of value for me is to be part of Team USA,” he says of his pride at representing his country at the Games.

“Also, my daughter being able to experience her dad being a Paralympian.”