{"id":794559,"date":"2019-04-05T15:52:00","date_gmt":"2019-04-05T21:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/after-losing-leg-in-motorcycle-accident-granby-man-sets-sights-on-next-paralympics\/"},"modified":"2019-04-05T15:52:00","modified_gmt":"2019-04-05T21:52:00","slug":"after-losing-leg-in-motorcycle-accident-granby-man-sets-sights-on-next-paralympics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/local-news\/after-losing-leg-in-motorcycle-accident-granby-man-sets-sights-on-next-paralympics\/","title":{"rendered":"After losing leg in motorcycle accident, Granby man sets sights on next Paralympics"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery\" readability=\"6.8777703156481\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-364087-573\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert \/ The Aspen Times | Texas native and Winter Park resident George Kellogg, a former Marine who is a one-legged skier, hits a jump while taking part in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"8\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1.jpg\" alt=\"Texas native and Winter Park resident George Kellogg, a former Marine who is a one-legged skier, hits a jump while taking part in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11\">\n<p><strong>Texas native and Winter Park resident George Kellogg, a former Marine who is a one-legged skier, hits a jump while taking part in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert \/ The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert \/ The Aspen Times | Instructor Paul Dowsett, left, and trainee George Kellogg take part in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"7.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"Instructor Paul Dowsett, left, and trainee George Kellogg take part in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Instructor Paul Dowsett, left, and trainee George Kellogg take part in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert \/ The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert \/ The Aspen Times | Texas native and Winter Park resident George Kellogg, a former Marine who is a one-legged skier, hits a jump while taking part in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"8\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1-2.jpg\" alt=\"Texas native and Winter Park resident George Kellogg, a former Marine who is a one-legged skier, hits a jump while taking part in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11\">\n<p><strong>Texas native and Winter Park resident George Kellogg, a former Marine who is a one-legged skier, hits a jump while taking part in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert \/ The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert \/ The Aspen Times | Instructor Paul Dowsett shares a laugh with trainee George Kellogg (not pictured) during the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"6.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1-3.jpg\" alt=\"Instructor Paul Dowsett shares a laugh with trainee George Kellogg (not pictured) during the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Instructor Paul Dowsett shares a laugh with trainee George Kellogg (not pictured) during the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert \/ The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1-4.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert \/ The Aspen Times | Texas native and Winter Park resident George Kellogg, a former Marine who is a one-legged skier, hits a jump while taking part in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"8\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1-4.jpg\" alt=\"Texas native and Winter Park resident George Kellogg, a former Marine who is a one-legged skier, hits a jump while taking part in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11\">\n<p><strong>Texas native and Winter Park resident George Kellogg, a former Marine who is a one-legged skier, hits a jump while taking part in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert \/ The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1-5-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1-5.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert \/ The Aspen Times | George Kellogg, a former Marine and one-legged skier, takes part in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"7.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1-5.jpg\" alt=\"George Kellogg, a former Marine and one-legged skier, takes part in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>George Kellogg, a former Marine and one-legged skier, takes part in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert \/ The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1-6-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1-6.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Austin Colbert \/ The Aspen Times | George Kellogg, a former Marine and one-legged skier, takes part in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"7.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/veteranski-atd-040519-1-6.jpg\" alt=\"George Kellogg, a former Marine and one-legged skier, takes part in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>George Kellogg, a former Marine and one-legged skier, takes part in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.<\/strong><br \/>Austin Colbert \/ The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/sports\/after-losing-leg-in-motorcycle-accident-granby-man-sets-sights-on-next-paralympics\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/sports\/after-losing-leg-in-motorcycle-accident-granby-man-sets-sights-on-next-paralympics\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\">George Kellogg had a choice. He could easily have let his injury get the best of him, part of a string of unlucky and self-inflicted issues he was dealing with.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Instead, he decided to climb that mountain \u2014 at times, literally \u2014 and make the most of his situation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThis chairlift is going to keep on going without me or with me,\u201d Kellogg said. \u201cI can either sit at the bottom of the mountain and cry over a beer, or I can ski down it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Nearly seven years after his accident, the Texas native has gotten pretty good at the skiing down part. This is especially impressive considering he only has one good leg to do it on.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Kellogg, who now lives in Granby, is a former Marine and fourth-year participant in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, held the past 18 years in Snowmass Village.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Hosted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Disabled American Veterans, it\u2019s the largest rehabilitation program of its kind in the world. More than 400 disabled veterans took part in this year\u2019s programming.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThis is the best thing, I think, the VA has to offer,\u201d Kellogg said Wednesday from Snowmass. \u201cIf you do this right and you take this program as it\u2019s suppose to come, it will change your life. And it can be used as a spring board, a launching, to go somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">As unique as Kellogg\u2019s journey has been, it\u2019s also similar to so many of the veterans who have spent the past week skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing, scuba diving and taking archery lessons as part of the sports clinic. Currently 28, Kellogg had two stints in the military and was awarded two Purple Hearts during his service. During his first tour as part of the Afghanistan War, he was in a tactical vehicle that ran into an explosive that left him thankful to be alive.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">This experience, and the rehab required, led to an opioid addiction. After turning to marijuana to help the pain, he was tested positive for THC less than two months into his second deployment and was discharged from the Marine Corps.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">He left the military in June 2012. In September of that same year, while riding his motorcycle on a highway in Houston, he was hit by a vehicle. The accident took his left leg and forever changed his life.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe tagline for the Winter Sports Clinic is \u2018Miracles on the Mountain,\u2019 and that\u2019s absolutely true,\u201d said Paul Dowsett, a ski and snowboard instructor from Canada. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen so many transformative moments for so many veterans. George is just kind of the poster child.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Dowsett has worked with Kellogg all four of his years at the sports clinic in Snowmass. A passionate skateboarder before losing his leg, Kellogg first found snowboarding as a suitable replacement, but didn\u2019t enjoy using his prosthetic leg in that fashion. So, Dowsett suggested three-track skiing, which is essentially one-legged skiing with the aid of two outriggers for stabilization and turning. As it turned out, Kellogg had a hidden talent he was unaware of.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s great therapy. It\u2019s really hard, and that\u2019s what makes it great,\u201d Kellogg said of three-track skiing. \u201cI skateboarded throughout the Marine Corp. I even took a skateboard to Afghanistan. Once I lost that, there was a big hole in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Skiing has filled that void, and it\u2019s become more than a hobby. Somewhat coincidentally, Dowsett also instructed three-time Paralympian Melanie Schwartz back in the day. Schwartz, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, also is a three-track skier. She currently lives in Aspen and has trained with the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Kellogg blames her for much of his newfound hunger to become a Paralympian himself. He now trains with the National Sports Center for the Disabled in Winter Park, where he is making a push as a professional skier.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cShe is the one who kind of sent me on the path, said it is not impossible,\u201d Kellogg said of Schwartz. \u201cI was living on a sailboat. I was planning on doing a circumnavigation. My boat hasn\u2019t left the dock since the last Winter Sports Clinic. In fact, I\u2019ve only been back to Texas for seven days since then.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Kellogg said, in some ways, losing his leg also saved his life. He was headed down a dark road, but was forced to confront his own personal demons and now has a quickly evolving career as a ski racer ahead of him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Dowsett and Kellogg stay in touch after the clinic ends each year. Kellogg credits his instructor as much as Schwartz, if not more so, for steering him toward a professional skiing career. And Dowsett believes Kellogg has a chance at success, simply because of his positive attitude and willingness to push on.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cGeorge is one of the most coachable people I\u2019ve ever met,\u201d Dowsett said. \u201cWhen you give George clear instructions of what you want him to do, when George trusts you he will do exactly what you\u2019ve asked him to do. As a coach, there is nothing better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/sports\/after-losing-leg-in-motorcycle-accident-granby-man-sets-sights-on-next-paralympics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Summit Daily<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Texas native and Winter Park resident George Kellogg, a former Marine who is a one-legged skier, hits a jump while taking part in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass on Wednesday.Austin Colbert \/ The Aspen Times Instructor Paul Dowsett, left, and trainee George Kellogg take part in the National Disabled Veterans Winter [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-794559","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-14 09:02:48","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSMT The Mountain","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/794559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=794559"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/794559\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=794559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=794559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=794559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}