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Cross-Country Skiing: Swiss coach making major sacrifices - AFP News : Vancouver 2010

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<a href="http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-news/n/news/afp-news/cross-country-skiing--swiss-coach-making-major-sacrifices_312106BV.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="http://www.vancouver2010.com/img/00/31/23/97703925_00imgFLead-HV.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br></a><br><br><b>Vancouver (AFP) -</b> As with many of the participants at the Vancouver Paralympic Winter Games, Swiss Nordic team coach Walter Sporri became involved in disabled sport through the needs of others.<br><br>
With his wife confined to crutches after childhood polio, Sporri, an avid cross-country skier, became a cross-country technician before moving on to biathlon where he participated in national championships.<br><br>
He has been the coach of the Swiss Nordic Paralympians since the 2006 Games in Torino.<br><br>
"Cross-country is my life. It's a joy. Alpine gives me no joy," said the gregarious Swiss.<br><br>
Such joy, however, comes at a personal price as Sporri and his two-person team used their personal vacation to come to Canada, mostly at their own expense.<br><br>
The team received some funding from Swiss Olympic, an organization representing the country's sports federations, but nothing from the government.<br><br>
"It's hard. We are not professional. I do not get a salary (for coaching)," he laments, adding it's difficult to attract young people to the sport.<br><br>
In nine Paralympic appearances, cross-country skiers have accounted for 49 of Switzerland's 141 medals; Alpine skiers the rest.<br><br>
"We have a little sponsorship, same for (Paralympic) Alpine. There is a lot of money for able-bodied Alpine in Switzerland but we are not so interesting in the media.<br><br>
"Disabled sport is secondary, but it is a sport like any other. The people are like any other. It's just disabled sport."<br><br>
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