Women Power Para Alpine Skiers to Victory at 2026 Games

When Dutch sit skier Niels de Langen won silver in the opening downhill race at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics, he jumped out of his wheelchair and scaled a metal barrier to hug his wife Nastasia. It was a moment that captured what's happening behind the scenes in Para alpine skiing: women are the driving force behind many of the sport's biggest victories.

Paralympic champion Mollie Jepsen spent three seasons sidelined with injuries before making her comeback. She credits an all-female team of coaches and physiotherapists for getting her back on snow.

"The only reason I'm here is I'm standing on a bunch of women who just lifted me up, carried me when I was down, and helped me get back here," Jepsen said. She noted this wouldn't have been possible even ten years ago.

The stories of maternal support run deep. Six-time Paralympic medalist Menna Fitzpatrick says her mother Mair gave her the independence to fall and pick herself up as a child, a gift that made her fearless on the slopes.

Argentina's Enrique Plantey calls his mother his "best sponsor." She bought him his first sit ski and financed his early training at quality resorts, but her real gift came after tragedy struck when he was eleven.

"In this accident, my father and one brother died, and we are five children," Plantey said. His mother's strength in raising four children alone taught him how to carry his disability with grace and joy.

USA's Spencer Wood races in memory of his mother Barb, who passed three years ago. Her message still drives him: "Woods don't quit."

Why This Inspires

Sisters are proving equally vital to success. Sweden's downhill champion Ebba Årsjö shared countless early morning training sessions with her sister, just one year younger. "I wouldn't be able to do this without her," Årsjö said.

Austria's Veronika Aigner won her first Paralympic medal skiing with her elder sister Elisabeth as her guide. The bond between siblings transformed into Olympic gold.

The shift toward female-led support teams represents a quiet revolution in Para sports. Professional female coaches, physiotherapists, and guides are now commonplace at the highest levels of competition, creating opportunities that simply didn't exist a decade ago.

These women aren't just supporting athletes; they're redefining what's possible when resilience, dedication, and love combine on and off the slopes.