By Delores Wilson, May 23, 2019 — When I overheard the announcer on the radio say, “Special Olympics” I recall the cabbie that picked me up after a 3-11 shift. I enjoyed his broad-based conversation. He asked if I had watched “Special Olympics,” I reluctantly said no. He proceeded to tell me about his son who skied for the Special Olympics. The following week, he gave me an autographed picture of his son with his bio on the back.
According to the bio, Ralph Green lost his leg at 16. Ralph was a victim of a random nearby fatal street shooting. Prior to that shooting, he was an aspiring high school athlete at Belfort in Brooklyn, New York. A fierce competitor and an optimist, Ralph set out to make the best for his new life.
He moved to Winterpark, Colorado site of the National Sports Center for the Disabled. He had never skied, but was determined to learn the sport.
After a few years of training in 2004, he became the first African American to make the US Disabled Alpine Ski Team and competed in the first Paralympic in 2006 in Turin, Italy.
When he’s not skiing on the slopes, Ralph spends time spreading his time spreading hope to all the children around the world. Ralph has a competitive spirit. He stated, “I’m skiing until I am the best.”