February 2, 2007 – For one of the skiers who qualified to go to Sapporo, Japan, from February 22 to March 4, making the team was a double achievement, reports the Vancouver Sun. Brian McKeever, 27, of Canmore AB, has only 8-10% vision and yet competes against skiers with full vision.

McKeever came in second in distance races in Canmore last weekend, behind NST member George Grey. This performance qualified him for the 13-person Canadian senior team heading to Sapporo. “I think I surprised a lot of people,” McKeever said Wednesday, “(but) I had my eyes set on this the whole year.”

Suffering from Stargaard’s disease, McKeever describes his vision as being similar to what normal people have after looking at a bright light, and then get fuzzy spots when they look away, “(except) for me, the fuzzy spots don’t go away.” Sometimes he skis with a guide, such as his brother and former Olympian, Robin McKeever. Other times he relies on race officials to yell out important information to him.

One of Canada’s most decorated Paralympics, McKeever won four medals, including two golds, at the 2006 Torino Paralympics and won gold and silver in 2002 at the Salt Lake City Paralympics. But he hopes to someday compete in the regular Olympics. His former coach from when he raced in the world juniors, Dave Wood, thinks McKeever can make the Olympic team in 2010.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s physically capable. Of course, I would hope his sight hangs in there. To me, that would be the only thing that could potentially stand in his way.”

McKeever has a preference for the 50km in Sapporo. “It’s a classic (technique) race … and I like the long ones.”