Kurka was a six-time Alaskan state champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling before he made it to the U.S. Paralympic National Team in 2010.

Born in Anchorage on January 27, 1992, Kurka grew up on a farm in a small Alaskan village called Nikolaevsk, where Russian is the most common language.

Leaving his athletic career as a wrestler behind, he tried the monoski for the first time at the age of 15 on the encouragement of his physical therapist through the Challenge Alaska.

[4] Classroom Champions is a non-profit organization partnering Olympic and Paralympic athletes with students and teachers in underserved communities.

As the 2007 CMN Hospitals Alaska Champion Ambassador,[7] Kurka traveled widely, sharing his story with children whose futures were uncertain.