BEIJING, China — Colorado alpine skier Tyler Carter was named one of the Opening Ceremony flag bearers for Team USA at the 2022 Winter Paralympics.
Carter, 28, of Colorado Springs, said the honor to bear the flag with his alpine skiing teammate Danelle Umstead, of Park City Utah, was a dream come true.
"I'm beyond honored and speechless," he said on Facebook. "I don't even know if I can articulate how much this means to me."
The Opening Ceremony starts at 4:30 a.m. MST Friday and will air live on USA Network, Peacock and at this link.
This will be Carter's third Paralympics. He placed 27th in giant slalom at the 2014 Sochi Games and 19th in giant slalom at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.
He was born without a fibula and had his leg amputated as an infant. He took up skiing after he attended an adapted sport camp in Pennsylvania at age 8, according to Team USA.
"I've given everything to alpine skiing, striving to bring positivity and better the Paralympic movement," he said on Facebook. "But it's been a brutal past few years and honestly wasn't sure I could pull off making one last games. Through the struggles, ups, downs, and uncertainty - all worth it."
Below, watch the moment when Carter and Umstead found out they will be Team USA's flag bearers:
Umstead, 50, will be competing at her fourth Paralympics and is a three-time medalist. She won bronze in downhill and super combined at the 2010 Vancouver Games and another bronze in super combined at the 2014 Sochi Games.
She is visually impaired, with an eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa and early onset macular degeneration. Shortly after the 2010 Games, she learned that she also has multiple sclerosis, according to Team USA.
She and her husband, Rob, who is also her guide, founded Team Vision4Gold.
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