Kimberly Joines

the good things about my hero (i made it)

Kimberly was born and raised on sport. Her father, an athlete, P-E teacher and coach, has always been her biggest inspiration for succeeding in sport. Her mother is an elementary teacher (grade 3) in Edmonton, and her older Brother (28) has a degree in Arts, but is currently travelling wherever he can afford to go. Most of her extended family lives in Edmonton as well. She was born on Jan 27 1981. She was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In high school she enjoyed phys ed., English, and social studies. In her e-mail to me she said she usually enjoyed the class if she liked the teacher. After graduating as the athlete of the year in her high school, she moved to Lake Louise to pursue her love of snowboarding. In 2000, she broke her back jumping in the terrain park. She started to dream about the Paralympics as soon she knew she would never walk again. She started to dream about being an Olympic sit skier. She took up sit skiing, and has been on the National team since 2003. She achieved her first bronze at the Disabled Nationals 2001 at Sunshine, Alberta. Only a year after her accident, she finished 3rd in Super G at the 2004 World Championships at Wildschonau. That year, she was named "Breakthrough Athlete" by Alpine Canada. Kimberly said in her e-mail, "I have always had the ambition to be the best in the world at something. It has changed over time, from soccer, to snowboarding, to sit skiing. I still hope to accomplish that, and win the overall world cup title." Kimberley never looks back and she won another bronze in Turin. Turin is her favorite race location. Her personal motto is: "If it isn't working out, it just isn't finished yet." She helps her sport by motivating newly injured individuals to get involved. She is very active in her community through Rick Hansen�s Wheels in Motion and the Children's Wheel Ability Camp. She is also involved in wheelchair basketball and road racing. At home in Edmonton, she works as Office Manager of In Step Physical Therapy, and is a business student at the University of Alberta. She is 26 years old as of Jan. 27 2007.

joines whith her heads (alpine canada)

I find Kimberly Joines's life remarkable because when she was 19 she broke her back off a jump, and she still goes more than 100 kph. I admire Kimberly Joines because she had enough courage and enough guts to get up and keep going. Kimberly Joines is so helpful and thoughtful that she is the leader of the Canadian Paralympic ski team. She is courageous and strong because she keeps getting faced with big difficulties and overcoming them. She is undemanding and caring because she helps many people learn to use a wheelchair and she never makes anyone do anything. I think she has an inner peace because she is always smiling. I also think she is special, because other people would have given up a long time ago and she hasn't. She has a sense of fair play because she does not like doping in sport. She has signed up for the C.C.E.S., the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport that checks for doping in sport. She is helpful and altruistic. According to her biography on the alpine Canada site, she spends much of her free time doing motivational public speaking, promoting disabled sport, and teaching basic skills to children at wheelchair skills camps. Kimberly Joines also supports drug free sport. Kimberly Joines is not really troubled by anything, she figures she did more with her legs in her first 19 years than most people do in their entire lifetime. I think her most helpful trait is she knows many people think of her as a hero. I have learned many things by studying Kimberly Joines, like you should never give up and one of Kimberly�s quotes, "If it isn't working out then it just isn't finished yet." Her father has been her mentor and inspiration for her whole life. He was her P.E. teacher in high school and her biggest inspiration to do well. I asked her if she had any special beliefs to guide her life and she said she did not really, but she said this, "I try to be an honest person all of the time, and say what is on my mind, and what I believe in. Since my injury I have made an effort to really live each day to the fullest, and make sure I am doing what makes me happy".

Kimberly and Robert at Nakiska (My Mom took the picture)

A hero is someone who helps and inspires others. Kimberly Joines is a hero because she inspires everyone to do better. Also because she got up after a serious accident and kept on fighting. A hero will share his or her wealth with others. She is in her 20s and lives in Edmonton Alberta. Joines also works as an office manager in a physiotherapy clinic run by two of her friends. She is an Olympian and has won many gold, silver, and bronze medals in her life. A quote from one of her team is that she is either on the podium or in the fence. I chose Kimberly Joines because I think she did more in twenty years than most people do in their entire life. From doing this project I have learned that you can always find the silver lining and make almost everything in life fun. I've also learned that being the best you can be always turns out right. Kimberly Joines is a courageous, selfless, risk-taking woman. She is also giving and humble. If everyone was like that, we would have a much better world and that is why I chose her as my hero. Kimberly says she is inspired by people that ski better than she does and says her friend Danielle Peers (she plays on the Canadian Women's Wheelchair Basketball Team) is her hero. She is amazing at her sport, a wonderful person, and a great friend of mine. Kimberly has an impressive list of awards of her own:

Below are the e-mails that we each sent:

Dear Kimberley Joines,
I am 11 yrs old and in grade 5. I ski as a first year K1 at Nakiska. I am doing a school project with you as my hero. I did e-mail you last year and you said that you also skied at Nakiska sometimes. I hoped to see you at Nakiska this year but have not yet. I have some questions in my project that I don't know about you. I hope you can help me with them.

Did you follow any beliefs or rules that help you to guide your life?

Do you have your own heroes? and who are they? Also where are they living and what are they doing today?

I read that your father is a phys-ed coach, who are your other family members?

I am sure you have received awards and recognition. One of my teacher's questions is "Has your hero won any special awards or received any special recognition from others?"

I also wonder what subjects interested you in school, what did you think you wanted to be when you grew up and if you have any special dreams or ambitions.

I hope you have time to help me out with these questions for my project.

I found an article called Broken bones - but not a broken spirit.
Do you know of any other things I could read about you?

If you are racing soon, I wish you good luck. I am racing at Nakiska this coming weekend.

Thank-you,
Robert

my hero project Inbox

Hi Robert,

Sorry it took me a couple of days to respond, but i have been very busy. Funny you should mention it, but i will be training at Nakiska this weekend. Keep and eye out for me and introduce yourself.

Here are the answers to your questions:

"Did you follow any beliefs or rules that help you to guide your life?"

Nothing too specific. I try to be an honest person all of the time, and say what is on my mind, and what i believe in. Since my injury i have made an effort to really live each day to the fullest, and make sure i am doing what makes me happy.

"Do you have your own heroes? and who are they? Also where are they living and what are they doing today?"

I am inspired by everyone that skis better than me... I think this is because i want to be the best, and they are fun to chase! Specifically, my friend Danielle Peers (she plays on the Canadian Women's Wheelchair Basketball Team) is my hero. She is amazing at her sport, a wonderful person, and a great friend of mine. She played professional wheelchair basketball in a men's league in France last year, and has always been able to go toe to toe with the men. I truly respect and admire her. She lives in Edmonton, and still plays on the National Team.

"I read that your father is a phys-ed coach, who are your other family members?"

My mother is an elementary teacher (grade 3) in Edmonton, and my older Brother (28) has a degree in Arts, but is currently travelling wherever he can afford to go. Most of my extended family lives in Edmonton as well, we are all very close.

"Has your hero won any special awards or received any special recognition from others?"

-athlete of the year grade 12 St. Francis Xavier High School
-CADS Alberta: Rookie of the year 2001
-Scott Connery Trophy for "Outstanding Racer" 2002
-Alpine Canada: Breakout Racer of the year 2004
-Honorary Parade Marshal (with the other Olympic medal winners) at the Calgary Stampede 2006.
-many medals... most notably, my first gold at the world cup race in Aspen earlier this year, and the bronze at the Paralympics Torino 2006.

"I also wonder what subjects interested you in school?"

I currently am in University and am taking business, I like to learn practical information that applies to real life. In high school I enjoyed phys ed., English, and social studies. For me, I usually enjoyed the class if I liked the teacher.

"what did you think you wanted to be when you grew up and if you have any special dreams or ambitions."

When I was younger I changed "what I wanted to do when I grew up" every year. I could quite figure it out, and it seemed like my options were endless. i always loved sports, but never actually thought I would have the chance to pursue it as a career. It looks as though I have proved myself wrong! I have always had the ambition to be the best in the world at something. it has changed over time, from soccer, to snowboarding, to sit skiing. I still hope to accomplish that, and win the overall world cup title.

"I found an article called Broken bones - but not a broken spirit. Do you know of any other things I could read about you?"

There should be quite a few articles on the internet. If you put my name (and you can try to spell it two ways) into the google search engine:

Kimberly Joines (spelled correctly)

Kimberley Joines (how people accidentally spell it)

you will find more articles if you spell it the correct way.

I hope that this was helpful for you. I hope to see you this weekend. If you have any questions, feel free to send them along. I may not get to the internet again until Sunday though.

Cheers,
Kimberly