There were dark days when Tyler Turner wished heB次元官网网址檇 died in the skydiving accident that cost him his legs.

Because then he wouldnB次元官网网址檛 be facing the decision of whether to push forward, or simply exist.

On Monday, the 33-year-old from Campbell River, B.C., captured CanadaB次元官网网址檚 first Paralympic snowboarding gold medal, racing to victory in snowboard cross at the Beijing Games.

And moments before standing atop the podium, a highlight of a six-medal day for Canada, Turner reflected on how far heB次元官网网址檇 come.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 kind of crazy to look back,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淵ou donB次元官网网址檛 realize it while youB次元官网网址檙e in it. But then you look back. Four-and-a-half years later B次元官网网址� holy smokes, the progression is unbelievable.B次元官网网址�

Turner built a commanding lead in MondayB次元官网网址檚 big final at Genting Snow Park to win gold. Moments earlier, Lisa DeJong of Sherwood Park, Alta., captured silver in the womenB次元官网网址檚 race.

In cross-country, Brian McKeever easily defended his title in the menB次元官网网址檚 20-kilometre race, winning a whopping 14th Paralympic gold and 18th medal. Natalie Wilkie won the womenB次元官网网址檚 15K race, while teammate Brittany Hudak raced to bronze. And Alana Ramsay earned bronze in AlpineB次元官网网址檚 super combined.

Turner is a lifelong lover of gravity sports. He was a skydiving instructor with years of experience when he landed hard in a jump from 10,000 feet in 2017. HeB次元官网网址檚 not sure what went wrong. He has no memory of the crash, nor the final minute before impact.

B次元官网网址淲hich IB次元官网网址檓 OK with,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 have no PTSD. IB次元官网网址檓 quite lucky in a way,B次元官网网址� he said.

But the months that followed were tough. He was in a coma for five days, and suffered a brain injury. His pelvis and spine were surgically fixated. He initially lost his right leg, but had his badly damaged left leg amputated about a year after the crash.

Depression, he said, was a B次元官网网址渄eep dark hole.B次元官网网址� But the longing to snowboard, surf B次元官网网址� and even skydive again B次元官网网址� tugged at him. Plus, he wanted to prove people wrong.

Turner chronicled his progression in an Instagram story, beginning on Day 1 after his second amputation when, while still hooked up to an I.V., he popped a wheelie in the hospital hallway.

On Day 510, he was able to snowboard 10 feet, using poles for support. The pain, he said, was intense.

On Day 642, after being helped up onto his board by a friend, he rode a full run at K3 Cat Ski in Revelstoke, B.C., where heB次元官网网址檇 worked for years.

B次元官网网址淚 got back as early as humanly possible, because I love snowboarding, itB次元官网网址檚 my entire life,B次元官网网址� Turner said. B次元官网网址淎nd so, I pushed it pretty early. It was extremely painful, but also really rewarding to realize early on that I was still going to be capable of doing it. And then with a little bit of patience, I was able to work through getting the proper legs, proper prosthetics and have the right amount of healing time where, a couple of seasons after, I was able to really get back on the level I wanted to.B次元官网网址�

In 2020, Turner became the first bilateral amputee to fly a wingsuit, calling the high-adrenalin pursuit the closest thing to being a bird.

His crash and his recovery, not only of his body, but of his love for life, was captured in longtime friend Lara SheaB次元官网网址檚 documentary B次元官网网址淪ixty Seconds,B次元官网网址� which premiered in November.

Turner cringes at the word B次元官网网址渋nspiration.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭he B次元官网网址業 wordB次元官网网址� we call it in our house,B次元官网网址� he said.

But he hopes his journey to the top of the Paralympic podium can help others see the possibilities.

B次元官网网址淭hat is one of the coolest parts is that, as much as I donB次元官网网址檛 like the word inspiration, the ability to inspire people who are in a place that I was four years ago, which is a really dark place, IB次元官网网址檓 super aware of how that feels. And I had people that went out of their way, from athletes from the Canadian team, who helped to inspire me early on to pursue what IB次元官网网址檓 doing now.

B次元官网网址淚 think the word is overused, but if I can help to inspire people that are in that position, then that is the right way to use that word.B次元官网网址�

McKeever, meanwhile, won his 14th Paralympic title, and 18th medal spanning an incredible six Games, with one of the most dominant races of his career.

McKeever, who has visually impairment, and guide Russell Kennedy, who competed all season on the World Cup circuit, plus in CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Beijing Olympic trials, posted a time of 55 minutes 36.7 seconds. American silver medallists Jake Adicoff and guide Sam Wood were more than three minutes back.

B次元官网网址淓very one of these races gets more stressful at the start. We are in a place we have never been. We didnB次元官网网址檛 know what the snow was like, so all of these stressful factors add up,B次元官网网址� McKeever said. B次元官网网址淭here was some stress today, but that is why it was more fun. When you have these perfect days, you just smile and enjoy it.B次元官网网址�

Wilkie, a 21-year-old from Salmon Arm, B.C., won the 15K race by nearly a minute, crossing in 48.04 for her fourth Paralympic medal.

B次元官网网址淚 did it. I just went hard and waited for everyone to catch me, but nobody did. I am so happy,B次元官网网址� said Wilkie. B次元官网网址淚t is unreal. I went into this race trying not to think about the end result but to focus on the process and ski as well as I could.

B次元官网网址淚 was completely surprised that my coaches kept yelling splits at me that I was in the lead. I just kept building from there and tried not to let it get into my head. That was enough to win the gold medal. This is for sure one of the best races that I have ever done.B次元官网网址�

Wilkie lost four fingers when her left hand was pulled into a jointer machine in her high school woodworking class. An ambulance, fire truck, search and rescue and a medevac helicopter was already on the scene by the time paramedics, who had to search the machineB次元官网网址檚 instruction manual to take it apart, freed her.

Less than two years later, at age 17, Wilkie had a spectacular Paralympic debut, winning a gold, silver and two bronze.

Hudak, from Prince Albert, Sask., captured her second Paralympic medal with bronze Monday.

CalgaryB次元官网网址檚 Ramsay captured her second medal of the Paralympics, winning bronze in super combined, giving Canada 12 medals through three days of the Games.

CanadaB次元官网网址檚 curling teamB次元官网网址檚 three-game winning streak ended with a 6-3 loss to Sweden.

B次元官网网址擫ori Ewing, The Canadian Press