Following 9/11 Andy Soule decided he wanted to give back to his country and joined the Army. Soon after basic training he was deployed to Afghanistan where an improvised explosive device detonated next to Soule's Humvee, resulting in double leg amputation.
Soule then spent a few years in rehabilitation and soon began looking for options that would keep him active. As an athletic guy with plenty of ambition, he attended a cross country recruitment camp in Sun Valley, Idaho in 2005. Even though he had no previous experience with skiing he caught on quickly and was hooked on the sport.
Soule moved to Sun Valley in 2006 to live and train full-time. He made fast progress, winning a silver medal at the U.S. championships in 2007 and nabbing two consecutive top-10 finishes in his first World Cup races in the same year. Those results earned him a spot on the U.S. national team for 2008 and he finished that season 12th overall in the World Cup standings.
Soule attended Texas A&M University and was a member of the Cadet program while he attended school.
Major Achievements:
- 2010: Bronze, 2.4km Biathlon, Paralympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada
- 2010: Third place, 12.5 Biathlon, Bessans, France
- 2010: Fourth place overall Biathlon World Cup standings
- 2010: Third place, 10k – U.S. Championships, Anchorage, Alaska
- 2009: First place, Biathlon Sprint, Sjusjoen, Norway
- 2008: 12th place overall in World Cup standings
- 2008: 10th place, 15k - World Cup event
- 2008: Named to U.S. Paralympics Cross Country Skiing National Team