University of Connecticut Athletics
Former Husky Sets Aside Tragedy to Reach Paralympics
2/15/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Steve Lewis, UConn Athletic Communications
STORRS, Conn. – Even in tragedy, there is a silver lining; another day, another chance to rebound from past experiences in the hope of a more fulfilling future.
On March 23, 1995, Steve Emt was in a terrible car accident that should have claimed his life. His story could have ended 23 years ago, but instead, it is only getting started.
A former walk-on basketball player at UConn, Emt prepares for the journey of a lifetime when he travels to Pyeongchang, South Korea, on Feb. 27 to compete in curling under the U.S. flag in the 2018 Paralympic Games.
“I get goosebumps just thinking about it. I envision that gold medal around my neck,” said Emt about his upcoming participation. “From all levels – personal, my family, my community, the state, my country – it is an absolute dream.”
After the accident, which happened the same night as UConn’s win over Maryland in the Sweet Sixteen when Emt was a year removed from school, he tried a variety of paraplegic activities to quench his competitive thirst.
He coached high school basketball at RHAM High School in Hebron, played wheelchair tennis, even raced in the 2010 New York City Marathon, but it wasn’t until 2013 that he found his passion in the sport he will compete in at the Paralympics.
“I started curling five years ago, and literally the first time I got on the ice and threw my first couple stones, I was hooked immediately,” said Emt. “It’s a lot of mental, not physical.”
A lifelong math teacher, Emt admitted to enjoying the “angles” of the game, comparing it to billiards. Considering the weight and speed of each stone introduces teacher-favorites such as math, physics and chemistry.
Emt will be part of a four-person curling team competing in the Paralympic Games beginning on March 8. He looks to become a part of history in his first-ever participation in the Games.
“The wheelchair curling program in the U.S. has been in existence for about 16 years, and between the Paralympics and the World Championships, we only have one medal,” said Emt. “We have come a long way; we’re battling with the rest of the powerhouses in the world and are doing well.”
His first exposure to curling came on an innocent weekend trip to Cape Cod back in the summer of 2013. He had never been to the Cape before, making the next sequence of events even more improbable.
“I checked into my hotel and I asked the people what I should do, considering I had never been in the area before,” said Emt. “They said I should go to Wood’s Hole and to this place called Pie in the Sky, this bakery, to get something to eat and watch the ferries come in.”
He continued, “So I went to this place and was working up a good bill, and all of a sudden this middle-aged man comes from around the corner and asked me if I was local. I said no and there was about 10 seconds of dead silence. I thought I was getting stalked and started planning my escape route.”
As fate would have it, the middle-aged man was Tony Colacchio, an assistant coach for the U.S. Paralympic curling team. Colacchio saw Emt pushing his wheelchair up a hill and believed with his build, he could make Emt an “Olympian within a year.”
Selling still had to be done, considering Emt had no idea how the sport was played until he went home and Googled it. A week later, Colacchio invited Emt to come check out a tournament at the Cape that had international players and he agreed.
One of the teams from Canada was a player short, so they asked Emt if he would like to participate. His reaction: “Are you kidding me?”
“I threw my first couple stones and a fire was lit under me. I knew it was something I could do,” said Emt. “For those 17 years after my accident, I didn’t find that sport that fed my competitiveness and filled the void until curling came along.”
One trip to Cape Cod has turned into many, as he trains mostly on the Cape, traveling five hours round-trip about two or three times a week. He also trains at the Norfolk Curling Club and Nutmeg Curling Club in Bridgeport.
Emt’s chance encounter with Colacchio might have never happened, had it not been for his resolve in the face of extreme adversity.
To hear about the two days following his accident on I-84, when he was unable to get out of his bed at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford, is to know a true story of overcoming obstacles and never relinquishing control over one’s own life.
“Those were the worst two days of my life,” said Emt. “I hit rock bottom. I remember the doctor being there when I woke up and he said, ‘Steve, you’ve been in a car accident. You’ll never walk again’.”
The medical staff put him in a wheelchair and brought Emt down to the pool, where they put him in the water.
“I felt the water hit my chest, my face and my arms and from that day on, I was ready to go,” said Emt. “It was something instilled in me by my parents from an early age to work hard and stay positive, no matter what life hands you.”
Before transferring to UConn, Emt was a cadet at U.S. Military Academy at West Point, playing on the basketball and soccer teams for two years. His parents were skeptical of their son attending West Point, but it didn’t take long for Emt to adapt to the challenging military mentality.
“The whole mentality of Army being eight hours of work, you have 50 minutes to do it – I loved that. Give me a challenge,” said Emt. “It was all military-focused – get a great education, play sports, get out and serve my five years and go from there.”
Unfortunately, it never got to that point. When Emt was 19, his father passed away unexpectedly, leaving many uncertainties in his life.
“It threw me a curveball,” said Emt. “I was immature, I didn’t handle it the right way at West Point. I took a week off from school and went back too early, I should have taken more time off.”
Emt would have been put on academic probation if he continued at Army, but instead chose to move back closer to his family in Connecticut and transferred to UConn.
Upon arriving to Storrs, he earned a place on the men’s basketball as a walk-on from 1992-94 under legendary head coach Jim Calhoun. It was there he met teammates Ray Allen, Donyell Marshall, Donny Marshall and current head coach Kevin Ollie.
“He’s a brother. I’ve known him for a long time,” said Emt of his relationship with Ollie. “We kept in touch after he started his NBA career…all along, he was supportive with whatever I might need or want. I couldn’t ask for more support from someone in his position, I know he’s a busy man. His friendship means the world to me.”
Ollie actually began the Kevin’s Kourt initiative to provide a safe playing space for kids with disabilities to play basketball, drawing inspiration from his friend Emt.
According to Emt, attending West Point and playing for a Calhoun team was not as much of a jump as one might expect. Expectations were high, on and off the court, at UConn. Players were expected to attend study halls, do well in class, take care of their bodies and be good people in the community.
“The man is incredible,” said Emt of Calhoun. “When I joined the program, he immediately stepped into that role as a father figure. I learned that anything less than 100-percent on the court was unacceptable.”
Among other things, Emt said his old college coach taught him to be accountable, to be responsible and most importantly, to remain positive. To this day, the two still talk on the phone on a regular basis.
Steve Emt will return to his UConn roots on Thursday night at the XL Center, where he will be recognized during the Tulsa game for his upcoming journey to the Paralympic Games – the latest stop on a long road for a determined individual.
When asked how someone could bounce back from the losses that he has suffered, Emt had a piece of sound advice.
“Everyone handles things differently. Whether it’s talking to family or seeing a counselor, whatever happens – deal with it and live your life…I’m back on this beautiful planet for a reason and now I’m competing for my country, wearing USA on my back…I’m a lucky man.”
