A world champion once again, Para snowboarder Tyler Turner is (arguably) Canada's most interesting athlete - Action News
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A world champion once again, Para snowboarder Tyler Turner is (arguably) Canada's most interesting athlete

When he's not jumping out of planes, flying around in a wingsuit, surfing, sailing or skateboarding, the double leg amputee from Campbell River, B.C., is winning snowboard medals.

Campbell River, B.C., athlete rides to 2nd straight world title despite missing most of the racing season

A para snowboarder wearing red travels down a snowy slope, with three competitors behind him.
Campbell River Para snowboarder Tyler Turner now has back-to-back world championship titles along with gold from the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games. (Peter Cziborra/Reuters)

Tyler Turner is speaking via Zoom from an Airbnb in La Molina, Spain, showing off a prosthetic snowboard foot and describing what it's like to defy the odds yet again to capture a second straight world title in Para snowboard cross, despite missing most of the racing season adjusting to new prosthetic legs.

"With so much time off and not knowing how well my legs were going to work after just receiving them a couple weeks ago ... I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself," said Turner.

"But once we started racing, I was like, I want to win. I want that first place and I want to defend the world championship. So I'm really proud of accomplishing that."

It's been quite a run of victories for the Campbell River, B.C., native, who also captured gold and bronze at the Beijing Paralympics a year ago.

A shot of a person wingsuiting in the distance, from an aerial perspective.
Turner is the first bilateral leg amputee to wingsuit fly. (Submitted by Tyler Turner)

Turner credits his success on snow to a fierce alter ego that takes over the moment he slides up to the start line.

"When the gate drops I'm like tunnel vision," he said. "I just flip a switch and see red when I start competing."

Thatgo-for-it attitudeexplains a lot about the 34-year-old, who six years ago lost both legs in a skydiving accident.

Besides Para snowboarding, Turner also competes in Para surfing, loves to skateboardand continues to teach skydiving when he's not flying around in his wingsuit.

Three men show off podiums at a sporting event. The person in the centre has a red and white flag draped around them.
Canada's Tyler Turner, centre, won his second straight Para snowboard cross world title in La Molina, Spain. (Submitted by Canada Snowboard)

And the thirst for adventure doesn't end there: last year, he and girlfriend Kayleen sailed the boat they live on 4,000 nautical miles from Campbell River along the northeast coast of Vancouver Island, about 265 kilometres northwest of Victoria to Mexico.

'Nothing in moderation'

Oh, and he alsoplays the bagpipes guaranteeing his position as front-runner if there'sever a contest to pick Canada's Most Interesting Athlete.

"That would be an amazing title," he laughed. "Nothing in moderation, I like to say."

Unsurprisingly, Turner's story has garneredinterest, and he's now increasingly in demand as a speaker. And while overcoming obstacles is an obvious message,he tries to steer clear of the "easy cliches."

A man and a woman smile for a picture aboard a sailboat, with an orange bridge visible behind them.
Turner and his girlfriend sailed the boat they live on from Campbell River, along the northeast coast of Vancouver Island, to Mexico. (Submitted by Tyler Turner)

"The biggest thing that I like to put out there is that [what I do] looks so amazing on Instagram or the internet, but that's not the real story. I would say the real story isn't sexy, it's actually just grit, determination, and putting your head down," he said.

"Everyone always asks how did you pull this off? And it's like, well, I woke up. I didn't want to get out of bed, but then I got out of bed. I didn't want to get groceries. I got groceries ... You have a shower, you go to the bathroom, you go do the thing, and you just keep going forward."

A man shows off a leg implement with a piston-like attachment while talking on a video chat.
Turner's new snowboard feet incorporate a mountain bike shock and attach to his prosthetic legs. (CBC)

As for snowboarding, Turner isn't done yet. His long-term goal is to challenge for more medals at the 2026 Paralympic Games in Italy while helping mentor the next generation of Canadian Para snowboarders.

"I'm not getting any younger and our team as a whole is alittle bit older," he said. "I know they're out there so I've been trying to put the word out as much as I can."