Biography

Vital Statistics

Birth date:       May 29, 1969                  Birth place: Tucson, Arizona

Current Residence:                              Arlington, Texas

Height:   6'5"                                        Weight: 195 lbs

Occupation:                                        Trauma Orthopedic Surgery Nurse

Began Skiing:   12                                 Began Competing: 24

Events: Slalom

Division: Leg Amputee with prosthesis, injured in motorcycle accident at age of 15

Sponsors:  Center for Neurological Disorders, Fort Worth, TX

Hobbies: Skiing, hiking, biking, woodworking, camping, reading, cooking

Career Highlights

• Gold Medal as US TEAM Member at ’03 World Championships in Florida (USA) 
• Individual Gold Medal for Slalom ’03 Worlds 
• 2003 National Slalom Champion 

• 2001 National Slalom Champion
• Silver Medal as US TEAM Member at ’01 World Championships in Australia 
• Individual Gold Medal for Slalom ’01 Worlds 
• 2000 National Slalom Champion 
• 1999 National Slalom Champion 
• 1998 National Slalom Champion 
• Volunteers with some adaptive water-ski clinics that Blaine Bridgport puts together every summer
• Visits newly injured - he's a Nurse for God's sake! ;-)

   

Best Performance

During competition- 4@ 28 off, Personal best- full pass @ 32 off

Records

Ski Club Affiliation

Metroplex Ski Club of Dallas/Fort Worth

Future Career Plans

Nurse Practitioner

Most fun skiing experience

Every skiing experience is fun, but it is always better when I ski my personal best

People I look up to or who have helped me

Believe it or not, the people who have helped me the most, I don't even have their names. They're the people behind the scene, like the Dark Headed Lady who held my hand while I was lying there in the street waiting for the ambulance to come sixteen years ago. These are the real heroes for me.

Kirk started skiing in 1993, 3 years later he began competing, and has racked up 3 National Slalom Championships.   Kirk earned a Gold in Slalom at the 2001 Worlds, and that's his first International event!  (Have we like got THE TEAM or what folks?) 

When not skiing, Kirk's a Trauma Orthopedic Surgery Nurse for Orthopedic Specialty Associates in Fort Worth, Texas (Cory Collinge, MD 1325 Pennsylvania Ave. Suite 890 Fort Worth, TX 76104 817-878-5300). Kirk told Spanky, KeNyA and I that he'd decided he was going back into orthopedic (bone type stuff) work because the neuro surgeons he was working for at the time of the '01 Worlds didn't allow him to do much communicating with the patients, mostly he performed Resident type work.  What he's looking for, and what we the public need, are nurses who nurture the patient and family through the illness or injury.  We were thrilled to learn he changed jobs, the doc he works for is a Trauma Orthopedist, meaning they deal only with Trauma patients.  Kirk's ability to communicate with the patients now is much improved due to more one on one time.  If you've ever spent time in a hospital with an injured or ill person you'll wholeheartedly appreciate Kirk's commitment to his profession and the people he helps.  

I was surprised when Spanky told me he and Kirk had talked quite a bit at the '01 Worlds (Kirk is a bit on the quiet side and Spanky was quite subdued on this trip). Kirk explained paralysis in a way Spanky could understand and gave him some very valuable spiritual information about dealing with his sister Nana.  Nana (Spanky's 21 year old sister) has a disease called Neuro Fibramatosis that has placed her in a an electric wheelchair and taken some of her ability to communicate.  Doctors warned her life could end at any time.  That's a tough thing for a 14 year old boy to deal with.  Kirk shared his experiences with the dying process and gave Spanky some ideas on how to deal with the inevitable.  Spanky was deeply touched and fortified by Kirk's caring and sharing. 

Kirk competes in the leg amputee division (with prosthesis).  With his ski ability we hope Kirk stay with skiing for a long time to come! Kirk also serves on WSDA's (WaterSkiers with Disabilities Association) Equipment Manufacturer Committee.

That's Kirk at the Kilgour Estate Winery in Australia (at a TEAM dinner) with Melbourne just over his left shoulder.  Click on Spanky's Australia Report to read his thoughts about Kirk:)

You may email Kirk directly by clicking on the icon