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Elite performance with heart.
When hard work equals dreams realized.
Before they ever hit the slopes...
Years of training, travel, and discipline define and separate an Paralympian - the members of the U.S. Para Ski & Snowboard Teams are no different.
This remarkable group of individuals have excelled in their respective disciplines but require funding to receive the comprehensive support and resources to remain competitive - including elite coaching, sport science, sports medicine, and high performance staff.
Events and athletes
Competitors are divided into three main categories: sitting, standing and visually impaired. Each category is then divided into classes based on functional ability resulting from the degree and type of disability. Each class is scored based on a percentage factor relative to the strongest class in the category. The competitor’s actual race time is adjusted, and the fastest adjusted time is the winner.
Nordic Skiing includes cross-country skiing and biathlon events. Cross-country races range from 800 meter sprints to 20 kilometer distances; biathlon combines elements of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. Paralympic Nordic competitions are open to male and female athletes with physical disabilities including amputation/limb loss, blindness or visual impairment, spinal cord or brain injury, and cerebral palsy/stroke.
Para Alpine skiing includes the five races familiar to fans of alpine skiing at the Olympic level: Alpine Combined, Downhill, Giant Slalom, Slalom and Super G. Alpine skiers are separated into three groups: sitting, standing and visually impaired. There are additional classifications within each group that skiers compete under.
Para snowboarding shares multiple events and many of the same skills that are showcased at the Winter Olympics every four years. Athletes from three different classifications compete in two different events: Banked Slalom and Snowboardcross to try to earn a spot on the podium.
