Two skis make a horizontal turn. Snow shoots in all directions. Time is stopped, and the cheering crowds reach a crescendo. Eleven-year-old Amir Gusev from Uzbekistan just finished the Super Giant Slalom in 1 minute, 2.39 seconds.

Team coach Dmitriy Pitirimov stays cool under all the excitement. “It’s not about pride, I don’t like that feeling. I am grateful though. Pride gives you the feeling you are already there; gratefulness keeps your feet on the ground. He doesn’t weigh as much as his opponents who are adults. It’s a disadvantage in skiing, but Amir overcomes that with his bravery."

Read more about Amir.

Like many athletes competing in Austria, this is Shubham Shokeen's moment -- being able to show what he can do as he skates in front of the world.

 

It is a movement that his mother Krishna would never have imagined for her son. Shubham was born with a hole in his heart, a condition that was not diagnosed or treated until he was a year-and-a-half. There would be further complications.

 

"After Shubham recovered from his heart surgery, we noticed that he wasn't playing with toys the way other children would. He wouldn't bang them or react to noise," Krishna says. Indeed, Shubham was diagnosed with hearing, speech and subsequently, learning disabilities.

 

Read more of Shubham's inspiring story on ESPN.

 

 

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