WESTERLO — Luke McDermott hardly touched the ice growing up in Westerlo. In fact, it wasn’t until he lost both legs that he took to playing hockey. Now, McDermott will be traveling to South Korea this March to compete in the Paralympics Winter Games.

McDermott, 30, grew up in Westerlo, living there until he was 19. He attended the Greenville Central School District where he played basketball and baseball, but never hockey. His school didn’t even have a skating rink.

“I think I’d been on the ice like twice,” he said.

McDermott currently lives in Evansville, a town smaller than Westerlo just north of Watertown in the Adirondacks. He said he found the small town of Westerlo to have a closeness among residents, much like Evansville.

McDermott graduated from high school in 2005, and attended the University at Albany for a year before he decided to enlist.

“I was going to talk to every recruiter,” explained McDermott. He had been interested in joining from a young age, as he had relatives in the military.

He went only to the United States Marines Recruiting Station, and two hours later had made his decision. He said he liked the type of training and work the Marines offered, as well as the sense of brotherhood.

In June 2010, while on second tour with the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, McDermott’s life changed in an instant when an improvised explosive device went off. He lost both his legs below the knee.

McDermott was first brought to a Naval hospital in Maryland for a month and a half, and then to a hospital in Texas for a year.

While in the Center for the Intrepid rehabilitation center in San Antonio, McDermott’s physical therapist suggested he play sled hockey to build strength.

“And I ended up falling in love with it,” said McDermott.

Sled hockey follows the rules of hockey played on ice skates, differing only in the equipment used.

“The whole rest of the game is completely the same,” said McDermott.

The sleds have two blades underneath, and the players shift their weight to move, he said.

McDermott joined an all-veterans team, the San Antonio Rampage, in 2010. After spending much time alone recovering from his injuries, as had many of his teammates, he was finally part of a group again.

“Everyone was in their own individual recovery program,” explained McDermott.

He was glad to be part of a team again. He said he also enjoys the sport because it is fast-paced and very physical.

While with the Rampage, McDermott traveled in winter across the country for competitions. He helped the team win the 2014 Tier I USA Hockey Sled Classic Championships. Recruiters were keeping an eye on him at that time, as well as during the 2011 and 2012 USA Hockey Sled Classic Championships, when he skated with the Dallas Stars.

Meanwhile, McDermott was also studying at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. He graduated in December 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in political science

“I enjoy politics because it affects everybody whether they pay attention or not,” he said.

He enjoys the different perspectives in politics. A benefit of his current career is that he now gets to travel to see different places and cultures.

When McDermott found out that recruiters were watching him, he tried out for the national team in 2014, which he made.

USA team

The USA National Sled Hockey team is based in Colorado, but teammates live throughout the country, meeting only once a month to practice together; the rest of the time they practice with teammates that live nearby.

McDermott and the rest of his team won gold in the 2015 International Paralympic Committee Sled Hockey World Championships. He has also played in four World Sled Hockey Challenges, the last being an important factor in the team’s prospects for the Paralympics.

The USA team had an unbroken winning streak at this year’s World Sled Hockey Championship, defeating Canada by one point on Dec. 9 in the Championship Game. The win was significant given that the team had experienced its first major loss in four years last year to Canada, said McDermott.

“That’s kind of a wake-up call,” he said, noting that the team was working especially hard leading up to the game.

“It’s only going to get better from here,” he said.

With a few new players this year, it helped to have the games to build chemistry on the team for the upcoming Paralympics, McDermott said.

“This is possibly the best team chemistry,” he said.

On Jan. 6, McDermott will be leaving his home for Chicago, where he will live with the rest of his teammates to train until they leave to compete in the Paralympic Games in March in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Prior to the Paralympics, the team will be traveling to Italy, Buffalo, and Toronto to compete.

“I’m really excited; it’s going to be great for the team … ,” he said, of the move. “We’re going to be firing on all cylinders,” he said.

Although he has competed in the Paralympic World Championship, this will be McDermott’s first time playing in the Paralympic Winter Games.

“It’s like a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be a part of the Paralympic Games,” he said, adding that his team has the chance to win only once every four years.

The team had previously traveled to South Korea this spring, to compete in the 2017 Para Sled Hockey World Championship in Gangneung, South Korea. This is a longer trip so McDermott hopes to have more time to take in the new places he will travel to.

“That’s always something I enjoy,” he said. He added, “Obviously, our main goal will be on the game.”