Jon Kreamelmeyer (born 1947) is an American

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

coach and a member of the

Paralympic Hall of Fame The Visa Paralympic Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which was established by the International Paralympic Committee. On 30 August 2012, five paralympic athletes were inducted into the fourth ''Visa Paralympic Hall of Fame'' in a ceremony in Londo ...

Early life and career

Kreamelmeyer was born and raised in

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

. He graduated from

Dakota Wesleyan University Dakota Wesleyan University (DWU) is a private Methodist university in Mitchell, South Dakota. It was founded in 1885 and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The student body averages slightly fewer than 800 students. The campus of t ...

with a degree in education and began teaching at Summit County High School in

Frisco, Colorado Frisco is a home rule municipality located in Summit County, Colorado, United States. The population was 2,913 at the 2020 census. Frisco is a part of the Breckenridge, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is a popular town among skiers from a ...

, where he served as an assistant ski coach from 1977 until 1986 and the head ski coach until 1991. From 1996 to 2002, Kreamelmeyer served on the Frisco Town Council and in 2003, he was elected to the Summit School District Board of Education. He remained on the board until 2011, serving terms as vice president and president. In 2012, he was recognised for his contributions to the community with a ''Frisco Finest'' award.

Paralympics

At the

1992 Winter Paralympics The 1992 Paralympic Winter Games () were the fifth Winter Paralympics. They were the first Winter Paralympics to be celebrated with the International Olympic Committee cooperation. They were also the first ever Paralympics or a Winter Paraspo ...

, held in

Tignes Tignes () is a commune in the Tarentaise Valley, in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France, known for the highest skiable area and the longest ski season in Europe. It is located in the Savoie region with good ...

and

Albertville Albertville (; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Arbèrtvile'') is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It is best k ...

, France, Kreamelmeyer acted as the sighted guide for blind skier Michele Drolet in

events. The pair finished fifth in the women's long distance (10 km) B1) in a time of one hour, 10 minutes, 6.8 seconds, and sixth in the women's short distance (5 km B1) in 25 minutes, 58.4 seconds. He competed at his second Paralympic Games in

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

Lillehammer Lillehammer () is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. Some of the more notable villages in the munici ...

, Norway, where he again acted as the sighted guide for Drolet. They finished fifth in both the

5 km 5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number. Humans, and many other animals, have 5 digits on their limbs. Mathematics 5 is a Fermat pri ...

and 10 km classical technique B1 events, before winning a bronze medal in the 5 km free technique B1. Drolet finished in a time of 20 minutes 8.7 seconds, and became the first American woman to win a Paralympic or Olympic medal in cross-country skiing. He was named assistant coach of the United States Paralympic Cross-country Skiing Team in 1995. He became head coach from 1998 until 2006, during which time the United States won 11 Paralympic medals in cross-country skiing. After leaving his position as head coach, he continued to be involved with the United States Olympic Committee as a development coach. In February 2014, during the

Winter Paralympics The Winter Paralympic Games is an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete in snow and ice sports. The event includes athletes with mobility impairments, amputations, blindness, and cerebral palsy. The ...

held in

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Сочи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg, from – ''seaside'') is the largest Resort town, resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi (river), Sochi River, along the Black Sea in the North Caucasus of Souther ...

, Russia, Kreamelmeyer was inducted into the

alongside visually impaired skiers Eric Villalon Fuentes from Spain and

Verena Bentele Verena Bentele (born 28 February 1982, in Lindau) is a blind German Paralympic biathlete and cross-country skier. She studied at the Carl-Strehl Schule, a special school for the blind and partially sighted in Marburg, Germany. She won her firs ...

from Germany.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kreamelmeyer, Jon 1947 births Sports coaches from Colorado Living people Dakota Wesleyan University alumni Cross-country skiers at the 1992 Winter Paralympics Cross-country skiers at the 1994 Winter Paralympics American male cross-country skiers 20th-century American sportsmen