The Winter Paralympic Games are fast approaching and for skier Josh Dueck, the opportunity he has spent the last six years training for is about to present itself.

Josh has now departed for Vancouver Island for pre Games training, and he’s just doing what he can to contain his excitement, which is a difficult task.

“I’m as excited as need be and just trying to keep it under control,” he said in a phone interview with the Bulletin last week. “But watching the Olympics when I saw things like John Montgomery, (gold medal Skeleton) pouncing on the podium, it’s hard not to get a little excited. But I’m doing what I need to do, hitting the gym.”

As of last Thursday, Josh planned to be in Vancouver on the last day of the Olympics and was trying to call a few connections to get into the hockey game and closing ceremonies. No word on whether he pulled that off or not.

After that is was over to the island for final preparations.

“It’s a dry land camp to physiologically prepared, using sports science. What was I doing just before the World Championships last year that made me race so well? I’m a big believer in science. We’ll do visioning exercises about skiing at home and thousands of people cheering. After that I’m going to Whistler for a few days just to have fun, do some skiing before the Games.”

It’s been a long road since his accident left him in a wheelchair six years ago and the Vancouver Paralympics have been his goal almost since that moment.

“It was a lot of hard work and sacrifice to get here and now it’s game time. It’s almost surreal.”

Josh is hoping to get most of his family to Whistler for the Games and if you’d like to help, you can purchase a Go Josh Go t-shirt at joshducek2010.com