"A lot of people look at sports for the DisAbled and say it's really good that they have something to do.  But that's not the case.  Steve Hornsey and I aren't a couple of unfortunate guys; we have pretty good lives aside from being skiers.  This is something we took up as part of our lives, not as something to make our lives complete."

TEAM KeNevA WaterSki Club is extremely proud to have had Steve Poulin on our TEAM; he personifies the word TEAM.

Steve was born in Rochester, New York and moved about the world with his family (a "military brat" is the term most folks use), graduating from high school in Hawaii.  Steve attended the University of Hawaii, Long Beach State and Santa Barbara City College.  He learned how to ski (a family deal) at the age of 13; an auto accident 6 years later forever changed the type of skiing Steve once did.

After his mid chest injury (MP2) Steve grew to love tennis . . . until he attended an informal waterSki clinic conducted by Royce Andes,  Steve Hornsey, and Bill Bowness.  Steve Poulin hasn't picked up a tennis racquet since then (1984).

Steve was the first DisAbled person to go over a jump ramp.  He did so at the 1987 Worlds . . . because the US TEAM needed points.

Back in those days there were no jump skis (sit skis) for paraplegics so Poulin rode a kneeboard (sitting upright) over the ramp.  He had no clue what he was doing so he just hung on as best he could.  That TEAM spirit earned him an Individual Gold Medal in Jump.

Determined to give the 1995 World Championships his best efforts, Steve sold his ownership in "Weird Stuff" (a 40 employee, $4 million a year computer and electronics surplus firm) and started a smaller version of the same ("On Edge").  Responsible to only himself, Steve could afford to miss some work days in exchange for more ski days.

In 1995 Steve's vehicle was broadsided as he was preparing to leave for the World Championships.  Steve suffered moderate injuries but competed in spite of his pain because every point he scored would help the US TEAM (the TEAM won the '95 Worlds).

Steve has competed in 3 World Championships, 6 National Competitions and numerous Regional Championships.  He has volunteered with National Handicapped Sports (now DisAbled Sports USA), conducted 2 learn to ski clinics for the visually handicapped in conjunction with the Lions Club, and was a member of the 1995 DisAbledWaterSki Nationals Committee. (That's Steve trick skiing at our pond.)

Steve was the first DisAbled person to perform a waterSki exhibition ride at Marine World, Africa USA (click here to see his photo), the first DisAbled person to ski at Mid Valley Water Ski Club's Polar Bear Day (a January 1st ski party, no wetsuits, no drysuits), he was also the first DisAbled person to ski at our pond:)

You can always count on Steve for a TEAM attitude, encouraging and doing whatever he can to help another skier. ....... or Coach:)

To the right is an example of Steve's generosity of spirit.  Last year he gave Coach Kent one of the Gold Medals he had earned .... saying that his Coach deserved a Gold Medal as much as he, the skier.

Kent, of course, was overjoyed, and shed some heartfelt tears. Kent laid the medal on his dresser; and saw it as he dressed every day.

Discontent with that display, daughter KeNyA hung it on a nail in the dining room, so her Dad would pass it several times a day.

Discontent with that display, wife, Neva, added some photos and had it framed as a Valentine's Day gift to Kent. (Click on the link for more details about the gift.)  Included are three photos of Steve. First Steve trick skiing at our pond, second Steve with many of medals, on our ski dock with Coach Kent in our boat in the background, and third, Steve, carrying the American flag, skiing onto the stage at Marine World .... the first DisAbled person to ski at Marine World.  As told elsewhere on this site, Kent wept when Steve unexpectedly gifted him the medal, and even more so when through the artwork of framing it not only evidenced the magnitude of the gift, but the giver as well.  

You can always count on Steve Pouli for a TEAM attitude, encouraging others and doing whatever he can to help.