Discipline: Para Alpine Skiing
Olympic Participation: Lillehammer 1994, Nagano 1998
Medal awarded in: 2021

James Paterson OAM was born in Terrigal, NSW. He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy while working as a marine mechanic.

At the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Paralympics, he was part of Australia’s most successful Winter Paralympic team ever, a squad that included Michael Milton, Michael Norton, and David Munk. Despite presenting a small team of just six athletes, Australia returned from Lillehammer with three gold, two silver, and four bronze medals, finishing 5th in the alpine medal count and 9th overall in the total medal tally.

Paterson contributed two medals competing in the LW9 category - a silver in the Downhill and a bronze in the Giant Slalom. 

At his second and final Winter Paralympic Games, at Nagano 1998, Paterson was Australia’s team captain. He managed to improve his 1994 results, winning the Men’s Downhill and finishing third in the LW9 Slalom. Patterson’s were the only medals for the Australian team at that edition of the Games.

Paterson also achieved much success at the IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships, winning a silver and two bronze medals in 1996 in Lech (Austria) and another silver medal in LW9 Giant Slalom in Anzere (Switzerland) in 2000.

In recognition of his outstanding sporting performances and his service to the Paralympic movement as an athlete, James Paterson was later awarded the Australian Sports Medal (2000) and the Order of Australia (2008).