Shirley Bentgen Shirley Bentgen of St. Ignace will make the trip to Torino, Italy, for the opening ceremonies to the Winter Paralympics Friday, March 10, and watch her grandnephew, 19-year-old Tyler Walker, compete in his first Paralympics.

"I am Tyler's biggest fan and am looking forward to the opening ceremonies and watching him competing in the Paralympics," said Mrs. Bentgen, who recently suffered a broken leg. "The broken leg will not keep me from traveling to Italy."

Mrs. Bentgen, along with Tyler's parents, Jim and Carol Walker of Franconia, New Hampshire, Tyler’s sister, Ashley, and Carol's parents, Bob and Janet Jepsen of Pennsylvania, will make the trip to Italy.

"Tyler is looking forward to the games," said Mr. Walker. "He has worked extremely hard during the last four years in preparation for the Paralympics. He will be competing in the giant slalom, slalom, super giant slalom, and downhill."

The younger Walker is currently ranked number three in the world after recently competing in the World Cup events in Japan. In the Paralympics, Tyler will going up against his former coach, Chris Devlin-Young. Both are members of the United States Disabled Ski Team.

The Paralympics are Olympicstyle games for athletes with physical disabilities. They will follow the 20th Winter Olympic Games, currently taking place in Torino February 10-26, as they do with each Olympics.