Alum Bjorn Taylor's passion for cross-country skiing is not only a lifelong pursuit, it is also what led him to coach Canada's biathlon team at his fifth Paralympics event.

Taylor (University Transfer, Bachelor of Physical Education, '91) grew up skiing homemade trails on his family farm between Bruderheim and Lamont.

As a MacEwan student, Taylor was named MVP of the Griffins cross-country skiing team in 1990/91 – part of an era of discontinued sports at MacEwan that once included other alternative post-secondary athletic pursuits such as canoeing, racquetball and bowling. Cross-country skiing was offered at MacEwan on and off for nearly two decades between 1978 and 1996.

In 2002, he was teaching outdoor education programs at Mount Royal University and the University of Calgary when an opportunity to become a program coordinator with Team Canada became available.

Since Taylor's introduction in 2003, the team has become an international powerhouse, winning multiple Paralympic medals.

"We've been blessed with some amazing athletes," says Taylor, "We all work together with a common goal: To give our athletes the best chance possible to achieve success."

Wherever possible, Taylor jumps in to fill just about any role, from acting as team lead to waxing skis. He has even worked as an international classifier for the Paralympic movement, travelling around the world to assess athletes' physical skills to place them in the proper Paralympic category. Back home in Lamont, he's serving a third term as a town councillor.

He's also responsible for transforming the Strathcona Wilderness Centre into a world-class cross-country ski facility while in his position as a services specialist for Strathcona County – a job he left after 14 years to pursue opportunities with Team Canada.

"I'm not one of those people who likes sitting around complaining about things," says Taylor. "If you want something done, get out there and do it."