Steve Emt's Paralympic Redemption After Drunk Driving Tragedy
Thirty-one years ago, Steve Emt received a devastating prognosis that would redefine his existence: "You will never walk again." In March 1995, a drunk driving accident in Hartford, Connecticut, left the 25-year-old athlete paralyzed from the waist down, seemingly ending his promising basketball career. For many, such a tragedy would signal the conclusion of athletic ambitions. For Emt, however, it ignited an extraordinary new chapter in sports.
A Promising Basketball Career Cut Short
Emt had always been a dedicated athlete, excelling as a talented basketball player whose high school performances captured the attention of the US Military Academy, where he was recruited to play. Following his father's sudden death from a heart attack, Emt transferred to the University of Connecticut to be closer to home. There, he earned a walk-on position under legendary coach Jim Calhoun, playing two games during the 1993-94 season alongside future NBA stars like Ray Allen, Kevin Ollie, and Donyell Marshall.
The drunk driving crash abruptly halted his budding basketball career, plunging Emt into a period of shame and denial. "For six months after my crash, I was lying to myself," Emt confessed to NBC. "I told everybody a deer ran out in front of me. I didn't want to be a drunk driver. I didn't want all the kids in my hometown, all the people around the country that love me, looking at me as a drunk driver. But then I wasn't healing. I wasn't moving on because I didn't accept it."
Confronting Truth and Finding a New Path
Eventually, Emt lifted the weight off his chest by sharing his story with a reporter and confronting the harsh truth. He began touring the country, speaking at high schools to warn teenagers about the dangers of drunk driving. Simultaneously, he sought to resurrect his athletic career, experimenting with wheelchair basketball, baseball, tennis, and racing. Yet, nothing filled the void until a chance encounter seventeen years later.
While in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Emt was approached by Tony Colacchio, a former curler and president of the Cape Cod Curling Club, who had observed Emt pushing up a hill in his wheelchair. Colacchio, training with the Paralympic curling team and promoting wheelchair curling, immediately identified Emt as a prospect. He boldly promised to transform him into a Paralympian within a year.
"I heard 'the Olympics,' and being an athlete, I'm like, 'Let's go,'" Emt recalled. "But I'm like, 'What the heck is curling?' I had no idea what the sport was." Undeterred, Emt began studying the sport intensely upon returning home, juggling his teaching job with rigorous training.
Transition to Curling and Paralympic Success
The shift from basketball to curling presented a significant culture shock for Emt. "It was very frustrating, because I went from playing basketball with a bunch of future NBA players, talking smack, people getting dunked on and bumping heads," he explained. "Curling is a complete 180. We shake hands before we play. There's no smack-talking."
This adjustment has proven immensely fruitful. Emt has competed in eight World Championships and made his Paralympic debut in PyeongChang, South Korea, in 2018. He returned to the Paralympic stage in Beijing in 2022 and is now back competing at the Milan-Cortina Games. At 56 years old, Emt is partnering with Laura Dwyer to represent Team USA in the debut of the mixed doubles event at the Winter Paralympics.
Today, Steve Emt stands as a three-time Paralympian, embodying resilience and redemption. His journey from a life-altering accident to Paralympic glory serves as a powerful testament to human perseverance, transforming personal tragedy into an inspiring athletic legacy.
