Sports

ESPY nominee Andrew Kurka is just part of the gang at a Challenge Alaska bike ride

On a warm night at Goose Lake, a Paralympics star joined Challenge Alaska for its weekly handcycle and bike ride.

Andrew Kurka, fresh off his nomination for an ESPY Award, joined more than a dozen riders Thursday evening on the trails around Goose Lake.

Kurka brought along a couple of souvenirs from this year's  Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea — a gold medal and a silver medal.

Kurka, a 26-year-old monoskier, got his start in alpine skiing with Challenge Alaska when he was a kid. He's come a long way in the years since. He won the downhill race and finished second in the super-G in Pyeongchang, achievements that earned him an ESPY nomination for best Paralympics performance.

Kurka, who this week was named to the U.S. Paralympics alpine team, is one of two Alaskans nominated for ESPYs.

Anchorage cross-country skier Kikkan Randall is nominated along with Minnesota's Jessie Diggins for best Winter Olympics moment. Randall and Diggins won the team sprint to claim the nation's first gold medal in nordic skiing.

The Oscars of sports, the EPSYs are sponsored by ESPN and attract the biggest stars in sports.  Fans decide the winners via online voting that continues until the day of the awards ceremony July 18 in Los Angeles. You can cast a vote here.

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