"Already a two-time Summer Paralympics gold medallist, the remarkable Reid will make history as Australia's first Indigenous Winter Paralympian in the weeks ahead. The Wemba-Wemba and Guring-gai woman started her career as a para-swimmer, competing at the 2012 Games, before switching to track para-cycling. Success soon followed, with silver at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio before consecutive gold medals in Tokyo and Paris, alongside a dozen world titles."
"Not content with domination in the velodrome, Reid took up para-snowboarding in 2023 and won two world championship medals – gold in the snowboard cross event, and bronze in the banked discipline – that same year. The 29-year-old will be a leading medal contender among a four-strong Australian para-snowboarding team, a significant increase in representation after Ben Tudhope won bronze as the nation's only para-snowboarder in Beijing four years ago."
"Parker, who won dual golds in Paris in the triathlon and hand-cycling road race, will compete in cross-country skiing and biathlon. It marks a rapid winter sport rise for the Newcastle local, who only tried snow sports for the first time last year."
Australia's para-athletes aim to replicate their successful Winter Olympics performance at the Milano Cortina Paralympics. The nation has won medals at every Winter Paralympics since 1992, with a peak of six gold medals at Salt Lake City 2002. Australia's delegation includes 12 para-athletes and two guides competing across four sports. Key medal contenders include Amanda Reid, a two-time Summer Paralympics gold medallist making history as Australia's first Indigenous Winter Paralympian, competing in para-snowboarding after switching from para-cycling. Lauren Parker, who won dual golds in Paris, competes in cross-country skiing and biathlon despite only trying snow sports last year. The para-snowboarding team has expanded to four athletes, up from Ben Tudhope's solo bronze medal representation in Beijing.
#winter-paralympics #para-athletes #medal-contenders #para-snowboarding #summer-to-winter-conversion
Read at www.theguardian.com
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