“Monster” Mike Schultz qualified by placing in the top five Saturday for Snow BikeCross at the 2019 Winter XGames. This is his fifth competitive XGames event. Photo courtesy of Wayne Davis/Wayne Davis Photography, Inc.
By Jean Doran Matua, Editor
Last week marked the 10-year anniversary of the snowcross accident that cost Mike Schultz his left leg. What could have been the end of the world for other pro athletes turned out to be the start of a fabulous new world, one seemingly without limits for Schultz.
In March, Schultz earned a gold and a silver in snowboarding events for Team USA at the Paralympics in Korea. The entire Team USA snowboard team, and even some of his competitors, raced with equipment designed and manufactured by Schultz’s company BioDapt: the MotoKnee
and VersaFoot. For most mere mortals, that could have been the pinnacle of his career. He could have retired a very happy and successful young man.
But that would not be “Monster” Mike’s style. For example, when the X Games dropped Adaptive Snowcross, Schultz learned to snowboard – and we all know where that led him.
Now he’s taking up yet another sport: Snow BikeCross. It looks like a dirtbike with a ski in front, and a narrow track in back. This past weekend, Schultz qualified for Adaptive Snow BikeCross in the 2019 X Games, ranking in the top five at ERX Motor Park in Elk River. Again, that would have been good enough for most of us. He won the adaptive final and earned a spot racing in the Pro final line-up. Schultz was the only adaptive rider in the 15-rider Pro final, finishing 12th. (Saturday was his seventh day on the snowbike, that’s how new this is to him.)
The X Games are next month in Aspen, Colo. Adaptive Snow BikeCross is one of three new sports added to the X Games line-up for 2019.
“I’ll miss the Snocross event,” Schultz told ESPN recently, “but being able to combine both of my favorite sports into one is even better!” Schultz has won eight X Games gold medals (so far). “Motocross and Snocross meshed together into one machine, now that’s awesome! I’m looking forward to the new sport, and am really pumped that the X Games has added the adaptive and para classes this year. I can’t wait to get on course and twist the throttle on these things, and psyched that this will be the fifth different sport/competition I’ve competed in at the X Games!”
The Para Snow BikeCross athletes will compete on the same course as everyone else. Only their bikes will be modified, with hand controls and seat modifications. The Para Snow BikeCross is a final-only race: one shot for the gold.
Meanwhile, Schultz was featured in People Magazine surprising nine young athletes with new adaptive gear as part of The Hartford’s Ability Equipped program.
In July, Schultz received an ESPY Award for Best Male Athlete With a Disability.
In August, Schultz was named to 2018-19 Paralympic Team USA.
In October, Schultz did his first TEDxEdina talk, speaking on “Adapting to golden opportunities.”
Schultz’s goal, as always, is to push himself farther, higher, better than ever. His goal is world domination. The one thing he hasn’t yet achieved in snowboardcross is the world championship.
Schultz’s first major snowboarding competition since the Paralympics was Nov. 30 and
Dec. 1 in Pyhä, Finland. On day one, he won gold by .01 second over Chris Vos of the Netherlands, and .52 second faster than teammate Noah Elliott.
His next big competition will be in February at Big White in British Columbia. Then the World Championships late March in Pyhä, Finland.
Between training and competitions, he’ll be home near Kimball training, working on his BioDapt business, and catching some family time.
It’s already a busy and important season for “Monster” Mike. But he’s proved time and time again that he’s more than prepared for the challenge. Whatever challenge that may be, Schultz is already way ahead of us with something bigger and better and, well, golden.
He’s a medal-winning Paralympian. He’s a world class athlete. He’s an award-winning businessman. He’s a great husband and dad. He’s become a true motivational speaker. He’s even on boxes of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, front and back. What comes next for Schultz is pretty much beyond what we can imagine. But anything truly is possible for this guy.
Go, “Monster” Mike!