{"id":23735,"date":"2025-05-15T09:06:22","date_gmt":"2025-05-15T13:06:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leadingauthorities.com\/speakers\/andrew-kurka\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T00:06:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T04:06:36","slug":"andrew-kurka","status":"publish","type":"speaker","link":"https:\/\/www.leadingauthorities.com\/uk\/speakers\/andrew-kurka","title":{"rendered":"Andrew Kurka"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Paralympic gold medalist Andrew Kurka is a living example of resilience, determination, and the power of purpose. After a devastating accident at age 13 left him paralyzed from the waist down, Andrew refused to let adversity define him\u2014redirecting his Olympic dreams from wrestling to the ski slopes. By 18, he joined the U.S. Paralympic National Team, and in 2018, he claimed gold and silver in Pyeongchang. Known for his unshakable optimism and ability to turn setbacks into motivation, Andrew continues to compete at the highest level while inspiring others to rise above their own challenges. Off the slopes, he\u2019s the founder of an accessible Alaskan adventure lodge and a passionate advocate for outdoor inclusion. Through powerful storytelling and real-world strategies, Andrew teaches audiences how to face adversity head-on and keep dreaming\u2014no matter the circumstances.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Paralympic gold medalist Andrew Kurka is a living example of resilience, determination, and the power of purpose. After a devastating accident at age 13 left [&#8230;] <br \/><a class=\"moretag\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leadingauthorities.com\/uk\/speakers\/andrew-kurka\">Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30332,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"continent":[19093],"gender":[],"hidden-keyword":[],"location":[370],"topic":[32,19096,76],"speaker-type":[212,104],"class_list":["post-23735","speaker","type-speaker","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","continent-north-america","location-ak","topic-adventure","topic-inspiration-motivation","topic-resilience-overcoming-adversity","speaker-type-athletes-coaches-commentators","speaker-type-olympians"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.7 (Yoast SEO v27.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Andrew Kurka | Keynote Speaker | LAI Speakers Bureau<\/title>\n<meta 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