Australian Para Skier Josh Hanlon Wins First Bronze in 8 Years

Less than three years after a severe bacterial infection led to amputations of both legs and his dominant right hand, Josh Hanlon stood on a World Cup podium in Austria as a bronze medalist in para downhill skiing.

The Australian para alpine skier finished just 2.26 seconds behind Norway's Jesper Pederson at the Para World Cup in Saalbach. This marks Australia's first podium finish in the discipline since Melissa Perrine's bronze at the 2017 World Cup finals.

Hanlon's third-place finish is even more remarkable given his journey to the sport. The former footballer was a GWS academy player before his amputations forced him to reimagine his athletic future.

He discovered sit-skiing and made his Paralympics debut at the 2022 Beijing Games, finishing sixth in slalom sitting and 11th in giant slalom sitting. Paralympics Australia named him rookie of the year for his performance.

The breakthrough in Austria came after Hanlon posted his then-best-ever result with a seventh-place finish the day before. Racing on hard, fast snow with challenging terrain, he admits his performance wasn't flawless.

"I didn't quite execute the harder parts of the course how I wanted, but I'm happy that was just enough for a medal," Hanlon said. "I'm absolutely stoked with the podium result. I honestly didn't expect it at all."

Why This Inspires

Hanlon's story showcases how quickly determination can transform a life. In under three years, he went from learning a completely new sport to competing at the Paralympics to now claiming World Cup medals against the world's best para alpine skiers.

His timing couldn't be better. With the 2026 Milano-Cortina Paralympics just 50 days away, Hanlon has momentum and confidence heading into his second Games.

The 28-year-old from New South Wales has proven that endings can become extraordinary new beginnings.