Joe Tompkins was a recreational skier before being paralyzed in a 1988 car crash. In 1996 he enrolled in Winter Park's disabled ski program and three mono-ski classes at Vail run by retired Paralympians Chris Waddell and Sarah Will. Tompkins was their first "graduate" to make the Ski Team in 2000, just in time to win the downhill at the inaugural World Cup.
After Worlds, Tompkins went on to compete in the 2002 Paralympic Winter Games. In 2004 he continued to race strong at the World Cup taking home gold in the Super G and then earning another victory in downhill at the 2005 World Cup Finals.
Vancouver marked Tompkins' second competition in the Paralympic Winter Games.
Major Achievements:
- 2010: Team member – Paralympic Games, Vancouver, Canada
- 2006: Paralympic Winter Games – Torino, Italy
- 2006: Member of U.S. Paralympic Alpine Skiing Team
- 2005: First place, downhill – World Cup Finals
- 2004: First place, super G – World Cup
- 2004: Fourth place, downhill – World Cup
- 2002: Sixth place, downhill and super G – Paralympic Winter Games
- 2000: First place, downhill – First World Cup
- 2000: Sixth place, downhill – First World Cup
- 2000: Seventh place, Super G – First World Cup