I had hoped to do a lot better in my skiing career but I learned a lot about ski racing and how to coach.. And lets face it, I could not have taken Thomas with me so that was not an option... We got to spend 3 years working on my skiing, made some great friends but now it was time to work on Thomas getting to the Olympics. 

 

 

Chapter 9 (Give the boy a chance)

In all of my years ski racing, I learned everything from tuning to gate setting and even finding the cheapest hotel. Not only did I travel all winter for six years racing in disabled races, I also traveled for seven years before that with my son racing in upper Michigan, and Wisconsin (13 years racing and coaching). So to help pay for Thomas to train I took a Job teaching able body skiing.

 

I became a coach for the Park City Ski Team and coached 13 and 14 year olds. The kids were awesome and listened to everything I told them. I had several kids go to Jr. Olympics and win metals. The Park City Ski Team is the top ski program in the country and they gave me the opportunity to coach with the best coaches in the world. I felt it was quite an honor to be asked to coach there and what I learned there will stay with me forever.
http://www..ussa-imd.org/alpine/races02/n0598.txt

 

 

 

I also helped coach my son in freestyle and he made the US Development Team in 2001. In 2003 Thomas was ranked 14 in the country. http://espn.go.com/oly/news/2003/0322/1528104.html He competed in both Junior Olympics and at the US Nationals. His training program was on snow in the winter and in the summer they trained jumping into the swimming pool at The Utah Olympic Park.
 

In 2004 he started doing double and triple flips with a 360 or a 720 degree twist. That summer he suffered a compression fracture at t-10 and is still in rehab to heal it to this day.

 

Chapter 9 (What about me)
 

As I sat there everyday coaching him, I began to think about jumping off the aerial jumps on my mono ski. After several months of trying to convince the Olympic Committee that I could do it safely they finally let me try it. My first jumps were off a small jump and it went off without a hitch.

After seeing my success, I was hired by The Flying Ace All Stars to perform every Saturday in a show that attracted 1000's of people every week. I was also hired by the park to participate in a program that gives guests the opportunity to meet an athlete and learn about their sport. I had an article published in Ski Magazine and Mountain Zone.

http://ski.mountainzone.com/2000/life/html/990712.html

 

 

In 2003, I was asked to ski off of one of the big jumps at the Sprint Ultimate Air Wave on ESPN. I talked a friend of mine into doing it with me (Lacey Heward, US Ski Team). Even though the top jumpers in the world were there performing, we received the most applause from the crowd and were swamped for autographs afterwards.

Joe Pack, Eric Burgee, and Speedy Peterson are three of the top jumpers in the world. Between the three of them, they hold four gold, two silver and two bronze medals, in four Olympics. All three fought to get the IOC to let me jump and were my biggest supporters. After the show ,the guys invited me to an after show party. When I arrived, I was heart broken when I discovered that the place was not accessible.
http://www.sprint.com/sponsorships/ski/releases/2002_08_26.html
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/news/stories/103024799960717.shtm
http://www.skitam.com/SKITAM-079SUPPLEMENT2003.pdf#search=%22Tom%20Hernon%22

The next year, they would not let us be in the show because they said it took too much away from their athletes. After the show, they had a press conference and all the reporters wanted to do was talk about us instead of their US Aerial Team members. Needless to say, the managers and promoters were not very happy about that.  The team’s athletes loved watching us jump and many of them helped me learn how to do it. But in the end the people paying the bills decided to bump us out of the show.

Chapter 11 Adaptive Luge

On Feb. 27 2003, I became the first American Paraplegic athlete to steer a luge sled down an Olympic luge course. Using an adapted luge sled developed by USA Luge regional development coach Jon Owen. I took four runs down the 1,316-meter 2002 Olympic track. http://www.usolympicteam.com/73_7873.htm

In 2004 I raced in my first official race sponsored by the Utah Winter Games and finished 4th out of a field of 25 racers.

Over the NEXT three years, I made about 100 runs hitting a top speed of 79 mph. This winter, I slid on the track in Muskegon, Michigan. I worked out new techniques on sliding on a track that is slower (50mph) shorter and has tighter turns. I can say it is safe and accessible and with the changes the park is making, it will the perfect venue for this disabled sport.

Because of our proximity to the Luge track in Muskegon, we have the opportunity to help develop a new sport for people with disabilities. Last winter we had our first adaptive luge clinic, 4 Brave young men took up the challenge and will be forming a team this winter.

 

Muskegon produces some of the top sliders in the country. Our young disabled athletes not only have a shot at the Para-Olympics but the chance to make it to regular US Olympic Team. What other sport gives disabled kids that kind of opportunity? Just think, we could produce the first Olympic Gold Medalists that is in a wheelchair.