Stephani Victor and Marcel Kuonen

00:00 I'm 51 years old and today is Friday November 13th, 2020. I am here in Park City, Utah with my husband and Coach myself wohnen.

00:15 My name is Marcel and I are in Park City, Utah husband of Stephanie.

00:24 I competed in the Olympics and Paralympics beginning with my first games in 2002 in Salt Lake City, Utah where I won the bronze medal in the women's downhill I compete in adaptive Alpine skiing and I've had the great privilege and Fortune of competing in five paralympic games the first of which began in Salt Lake in our hometown in 2002. Our second games was in Torino Italy in 2006 where I won the gold medal in the women's slalom and we competed in Vancouver Canada in 2010, or I was the first athlete the first female to win the gold medal in the super combined event. I also want a silver medal in giant slalom and slalom in the 2010 games.

01:24 And we went to Sochi Russia in 2014 and for our fifth and final games as a thank-you in dedication to my coach and husband. I ended up Racing for the Swiss paralympic team after four years and five medals for Team USA. I erase for Switzerland in 2018 in pyeongchang Korea. And that's where Marcel and I finished our athletic real.

01:58 Then and I always was accompanying Stephanie on these incredible interesting and challenging Journey or to these are five first off the couch until I was doing the shooting and taking care of older outside stuff and then later to Upper. So I'm a very lucky man and we are all together very lucky that we could share this incredible time together and a half, please.

02:39 Unbelievable experience

02:43 There's no greater honor than to Race for Your Country in your own country. And that was an idea that Marcel impressed upon me that the very first day we met but before we start with that first ski lesson, let's go back to the Swiss Alps deep in the Swiss Alps On the Border to Italy the southern part of Switzerland. Where you grew up right now. Tell me. When did you start basically the way I have to say it I was born so I wasn't very very young age. I started seeing it seems maybe I didn't care. I was just playing around and I'm growing up in Switzerland skiing is the national sport of it comes natural and also,

03:42 Inspiration early on because she was there one of the top or first female skiers and

03:54 Women were not allowed by the Catholic Church to wear pants. So she's supposed to be like, no, I'm not doing that. I put my pants on and cheap sets over these in a little rules and stuff from the church and she became a very good ski or so for sure. She was interested to see everybody in your family like my siblings and yell at you for being so that's how we started and then there was no basically Jerry thirsty list or anything. We were just stepping up and down the hill and when I took my first Chile flight so inconstant the foundation

04:54 15 man seeking man that was tough to achieve.

05:12 So when you were Racing for Switzerland, you know that this was a lifelong dream a lifelong goal of yours to go to the Olympics and it just so happened that your time to shine on the Swiss team with when the 10 best ski racers in the world. We're all from your tiny little country of Switzerland. So actually making the Olympic team and going was

05:42 Credibly extraordinary Challenge and then you fell just slightly short of that goal. Although the men who did Reese for Switzerland where your friends and colleagues and people that you race with throughout your athletic career. Yeah, that's correct them and then we were good friends and you know, whoever they want to go go when I actually finished early like I'm finished and today they go over to 25106 and I need you to make the decision not to participate in the return of looked at it and said the coaches in La like the CSO.

06:42 You know you were so freaking disguised toast and it's kind of on the line. Okay, that was a good decision because I couldn't be there anyway, and I'm so happy for the way your rent and you know where I ended up erasing was so deeply embedded in you.

07:17 Since you were a small child that you were able to Parlay or Loveland ski racing that was not realize that an olympic-level, but you were able to turn it into coaching career and end you set your emphasis on bringing other athletes up to that level which brought you to the United States came over to her PO Box City, Utah time in Switzerland termination. What I saw in Polk City, Iowa City found out I was so awesome to see all these different disabilities and everybody was working on.

08:17 Coaching and then everything at teaching and it's different than this. And I got interested in that and then I said wait a minute. This isn't me to figure out the mechanics and biomechanics of seeing when when you're in the Attic site there was a real distinction between able-bodied or non disabled athletes and athletes who were skiing with different impairments sunward visually impaired some were standing but potentially missing a limb and then there were there were those in a monastery and this particularly captured your attention and what what did you do that was different that stood out in terms of your approach to teaching

09:17 Skiing and coaching athletes who have paralympic aspirations in one day and they think they can become by three days with so much time and I knew that there's so much more to learn and so I went and looking for a different teaching challenge which is a teaching adaptive skiing, which a part-time was in in the early early stages of oh you have to do different things and you have to change you have to do tests and you have to turn your upper body first and then they sometime and I'm like wait a minute.

10:12 I am mechanics in physics. They don't change for anybody. That's the same for everybody. So what is what's going on here? And and that is why I'm like wait a minute. I'm just teaching skiing and that worked very well. I got the most requested guy in the program because I was just teaching skiing at the national physical therapy and I was just kind of like very very taken by the appreciation and by the house should I say it

11:01 Fire by the kindness I received from the office and students because they had they had a different point of view and and I could I could actually say wait a minute when you have less to work.

11:19 And you are chief the same what I do then you're actually not a stable fuel more 8th. And that's what my feelosophy from there on Alma and also and teaching the basics of skiing starting off the foundation and then moving everything from there.

11:39 So how does a young woman from Southern California end up in the presence of a very Dynamic Swiss coach? That's my part of the story. You think you to become a paralympic athlete?

11:58 Some people are are are born with different abilities. But in in my case, I was a walking running dancing completely active energetic person. I was going to USC film school. I had graduated with two degrees from the film program and I was ready to Take on the World to take on Hollywood to tell stories of meaning and substance when my life

12:31 Took a dramatic turn if it's so true. There are things that happened where are our lives can change in an instant and the trajectory that I was on in filmmaking.

12:47 Changed instantly. I was simply going out to dinner when an out-of-control car came up into the driveway and crushed me into the back of the vehicle that I was loading. And you do your muscle memory is a very strong and prevalent Force. Okay, we know this is athletes because this is something you impressed upon me from that from the moment. I started ski racing that you want to install in your memory the best most precise movements because that is what you will recall when your under pressure.

13:30 And that's exactly what happened to me in the night of my accident the moment the car hit me and I was pinned and drag between the two vehicles down the sidewalk my muscle memory from my childhood chicken and that was from playing soccer. So you're on the soccer field you get knocked down. What are you do you get back into the game? And when I saw the orientation of my legs that they had been broken below and above the knee it is it looked as though I stepped on a landmine.

14:05 I knew in that moment that I would not just be getting back up, but I was determined to get back into the game and several hours later after.

14:20 Very lengthy surgery and arresting three times on the operating table when I woke and I see you I asked my mother are my legs gone. And she said yes Stephanie they are.

14:34 I did not know in that particular moment that a hole.

14:38 Profound life of traveling the world and the tremendous honor of representing your country and representing your husband said I didn't have any ability to Envision and a particular moment the life that was in store for me the life that you and I have had the great privilege to live together, but I went forward with this newly.

15:06 Diagnosed situation called You're a bilateral above knee amputee. I was told I would never walk again that I would be confined to a wheelchair and these are all just ridiculous things because it wasn't a reflection of who I am and fast-forward through 14 reconstructive surgeries years in and out of the hospital. I had determined through the glimpses of seeing paralympic sport that that was an extraordinary opportunity to recreate myself and I found myself in Park City, Utah promoting a film in the Sundance Film Festival when I had

15:55 The opportunity to take a ski lesson at the national Ability Center and I told him I said I'm a very athletic person. You know, I want to have the best coach. I want to have the best instructor if he's handsome, you know all the more better. I was still single at the end here came you remarkably passionate and charismatic coach. I had to fill out this form and describe what my abilities were you remember what I wrote on the form know I can basically I was coaching and then I said, he was the one who said there's somebody coming in and wants to really be you know, moving forward and skiing then I'm willing to teach lessons too. And so there's that

16:55 What is this little request thing on my desk in the NBA have to question you and everything was answered with 555 + 125 + is how I can you know and everything you gave yourself the top school and I'm not wow. I can't wait to see and ears that beautiful Stephanie sitting there smiling and I'm up and you're right and who you are wasn't sure if your wife said that it's like I saw you so Lysol writing to you in and also reported that that that you know what I said, you can meet somebody before, you know, actually ran and I'm not explaining everything and

17:53 What about you know about t r a c and ends so I said wait a minute. There is no you wrote underneath the Bulls winning a gold medal and I said anybody can write winning a gold medal you go to the little weenie race and you mean so that's not the reason why don't you change this been a very specific goal in your life? What would the Olympic and paralympic games are coming to the u.s. Actually they come here to Salt Lake City. Why don't you write down meaning of appalling Dakota? And she for sure correct. And wrote down right away.

18:52 Boom, that's my goal. Meaning of and an Olympic gold medal. I I was so taken by you and your love of speed racing and your passion for the sport and I I had lived through losing everything. I had I have nothing left to lose and I

19:25 Saw this opportunity to drop everything. I was doing in California move to Park City train with you. I think you even said, you know, you don't really have a shot at making only 3 years till the paralympic games, but if you train with me

19:44 And I believe you and and I fell in love with you and I fell in love with skiing right in that particular moment. So I did drop everything and I came to Park City and if it was it was not easy this transition, but to focus on a goal winning a gold medal in the Paralympics as a side note. I had been shooting a documentary film about everything that had occurred after my accident and somehow the lover of happy Hollywood ending said to me cash if you really could.

20:28 Win a gold medal in the Paralympics. It would be the perfect ending for your film and

20:33 Motivational I guess my main motivation but the more time I spend with you the more I realized.

20:45 This was a divine intervention our meeting and

20:52 We were pursuing this goal together and as I got to know you and where you came from and what was it staged for you personally as a ski racer who didn't realize his Olympic aspirations that we could do this.

21:09 Go to the Paralympics together. I mean at that time in our knowledge of the US for over 25 years, but at that particular time you were so in love with being in this new country and your Devotion to the US and and this opportunity for the Olympics to be here. I mean you had lived through that it was an opportunity again in a new country with a new person and a new goal and we went for it, but you know had we not

21:45 Literally dedicated every

21:50 Daddy, you know what? I mean? We lived it. So we're imagining, you know for sure in love with you choose for sure. You know, how can you not know and and and I'm like, okay, I can't really do too much and whatever in the holding back a little bit and they are bought on the other hand didn't want to make it about that. I want to make it about skiing to an end. And I've maybe remember that I really for the first night. I really didn't want to invest too much time and somebody I just freshly mad and who was not me that is shaded to fully come in, So I kind of really must Little Alchemy on snow.

22:50 We have to create one particular training and you have no business to be but I just want to have a little women say okay. Let's play Monster go skiing down with a man. I can't do it anymore. And and no no I am I think 20 minutes and you like okay and let's go inside because I explained to you all these different things about racing.

23:50 We dedicate it every minute the scheme for the next three years, BC 250 270 days and every day when it was possible. We were pulling the snow and then also to go to the store and pick up a normal career. You need about 10 years to prepare. You see this time of year from the beginning. You see maybe when I knew your own the basal 80 days and then more and more and more. So I called on the face in 10 years, you know that that's what mosquito approximately 3 of the days. That's why we can you know or Abel do

24:40 Achieve. Unbelievable gold or qualify for Dad so they can

24:54 The one thing that was so important to me that I learned from you was

25:01 Japan crate in ski racing you need to be able to ski any discipline on any snow condition at any time on any length of ski for you there were no excuses and I adapted that philosophy immediately when it came to my disability. I knew that if I was going to live an independent and productive life as someone without legs, I could not let my own excuses nor could I let the excuses and perception of the world limit me a 10 Mi potential and so, you know your philosophy and your approach to ski racing with such an all in it.

25:51 More than 100% sleeping eating every waking moment of the day. Did it get an end? We could only achieve that out of us happening to fall in love on top of it. You know, we both left our lives as we knew it and the purpose was for you know set something seemingly superficial to win a gold medal. But what evolved out of that was our connection to each other and our respect for each other.

26:29 You really learn what a person is made up. When you see how they handle the challenges that they're up against these about life. And when you are approaching it like that it becomes a whole older experienced in this could only and fall Frost when when we got totally together all the office a couple of 7 for 20 years and I'm bossy. Time it is it we were driven you are trees. Coldwater open Italy was riding down on the paper, but but at the end of the day

27:29 What's up, you remember how I felt and what we did the night before.

27:45 Our very first event in our first pair Olympics in Salt Lake exactly. We went we went down there and and we we saw that I mean it's impressive for her life was a very very I think it was the best experience because they were they were so much it was after 9/11 and there was so much unity and so much Harmony together everybody wanted to show what what's going on in the US and I clearly remember how I came to get into Stadium. I mean, there could be one more person is it is an unbelievable, you know moment in time because

28:43 You know the US had experience 9/11 and yet their response not six months later was to open their arms completely to the world and however many hundred and fifty countries coming to the u.s. To compete and participate in the Olympics and Paralympics and for us that way.

29:10 You know, it was very unique because not only were we watching the history of the the paralympic movement evolved. It was the first time the Team USA had included the paralympic athletes in the Olympics.

29:31 Games, we stayed in the Olympic Village. We wore the same uniform and to kick off our our very first Paralympics in that Stadium for the opening ceremony was pouring down rain. It was freezing rain. I remember Stevie Wonder singing and

29:53 Removing that was to see you know, I never thought of Stevie Wonder as anything other than an extraordinary talented artist. I never really thought about him not being able to see because how he lives his life is with such magnificent Vision through his songwriting and performance and and he was such the perfect person to represent what all of us were there two to Showcase and that is curious who we are as human beings our love for our sport our love for our country and our our utter dedication to you. Do you have to sacrifice a lot and

30:42 Even going to the opening ceremonies. I mean that was a consideration for us. I was extremely nervous to race in the downhill. That was not my best event. I was in about the next day and it was the very next day the most racing the downhill didn't change at the opening ceremony at looking. Dr. Intend to shoot. Yes. You you meddled in there.

31:12 I won the bronze medal in Everett for me. I was very excited about that. I remember crossing the finish line and you know going into the the

31:23 In Oak rest area and in one of the reporter said to me, how does it feel to to to be the winner? And I remember looking up at the scoreboard and thinking what you mean about I'm in. Bronze medal, although it wasn't the gold medal achievement. We were seeking it was an extraordinary effort as a rookie. So many of my teammates were very accomplished veteran ski Racers and in fact the two women that I shared the podium was quite memorable Sarah will with the gold medalist Muffy Davis was the silver medalist do to be a part of the three women from the US winning gold silver and bronze in that opening event in the 2002 games, really really

32:18 You know, it's in a mises my love of country my love of team and end my love of just wanting to give my very best up but shortly after it was over. I mean, I I was not satisfied that we didn't win and and and I say we because I never looked at my athletic accomplishment as anything other than something that was achieved collectively with you. I don't think you fully appreciate this. I mean the secret to winning I discovered in the 2006 games or rediscovered together because Marcel and I were married six months before the Olympic Games in Torino Italy in 2006, and we were just too Reno is located just a couple hours over the border from Switzerland from his phone. So it

33:18 Remarkable for us to have both my family and his family there in the Paralympics and I would say that was probably the one time I felt closest to quitting, you know, when it was we were training always training. I mean you and I never were not training or y'all talkin about skiing or skiing and whatever. Yeah, but I've had I had a crash in the training event for the downhill and I fractured my wrist and I was so devastated because I thought this

33:57 You know for years that we've been living for what was going to be taken away. And and you said you're going to get a cat will we'll go to the you know, you better Steve if we had broken wrist and then and then yes, I became Swiss through marriage and

34:49 Yes, I heard you loud and clear of like this is your moment.

34:55 I saw it as this is our moment and on the last day in the slalom, which was your favorite event and my favorite event. I won and you couldn't come with me onto the podium. Literally it seemed strange to look at you out in the crowd because as I watched the US flag be raised and and I felt

35:27 It was difficult to breathe. You know, I realized in that moment that the strongest muscles in my body were in my neck because it takes a lot of courage to hold your head up.

35:39 And be who you are on the outside and be who you are on the inside, but livid on the outside and back gold medal.

35:54 I think it's particularly memorable. I mean it certainly wasn't enough. We loved our sport we kept going and we

36:03 As husband and wife continue to race in Vancouver where I won the first ever gold medal in the super combined and I and I think that was meaningful to you too because I was always overlooked as a speedstir because of My Success and Saul in the giant slalom and yet you made me the speed skier that I was I mean it was your idea to

36:30 And I said, what is the best training? How can you accelerate to the highest speed? I I was signing you up for a bungee jumping in New Zealand and around my ankles. I don't have legs. If I was in a trust artist, you know, I I thought it was probably one of the worst decision that ever made but

37:05 You had ideas you have always been Innovative and I am so grateful that we've shared the 20 years of ski racing together. You race for Switzerland in our last Olympic games. That was bittersweet for both of us because we had shared so many great experiences and memories with Teen USA including meeting President Obama extraordinary privilege that Olympic and paralympic athletes experience after every games. They are invited to Washington to meet the president and through my love of you and your country's, you know Fascination obsession with ski racing. It seemed fitting to take advantage of the opportunity to race for Switzerland.

38:05 What would you consider me one gold medals. We won Gold in to Reno and in Vancouver five paralympic medals total overall paralympic overall World Cup medal World Championship medals. What single accomplishment would you consider is our greatest? I think we did it together and we went through all this experience of you know, I was a husband and wife so we could really go for for long because we got older and we became stronger and better and train more and be dedicated more time to absorb. And also we didn't read dedicate dedicate at the time to each other so beautiful.

39:05 Pretty extraordinary that in our retirement. We live in the town of Park City where we met and we are both in our own way of giving back to the sport. I'm serving on the board of directors for the national Ability Center. You're still continuing to coach and it is our

39:26 Who is hope that you know future athletes will have the experience that that we were so fortunate to to live.

39:39 I really want to thank you for that amazing journey and them. Yeah, I hope you're going to have many years.

39:48 Why I remember when I retired you called me your champion and that meant more to me than any than winning because I always wanted to live up to your vision of greatness and for me you are my champion, and I'm so grateful for what we achieve together. I love you more.