Mitch Gourley rock climbing his way to Winter Games

A gold medal at the para-skiing world championships might seem like the perfect lead-up to the 2018 Paralympics.

But Mitch Gourley is taking his achievement with a grain of salt.

"It's a bit like being the minor premier going into a grand final, it doesn't mean much," he said.

Gourley, who was born without the lower part of his left arm, is squarely focused on something that has eluded him until now - Paralympic gold.

The Games in South Korea will be his third and after missing the podium in his previous attempts, Gourley knew a change was needed.

"The battle for me is about producing my best skiing on the big day," he said.

While skiing is his passion, his greatest weapon ahead of next year's games could be what he's doing a long way away from the slopes.

 Para-athlete Mitch Gourley competing in para-skiing. 
PHOTO: Gourley is hoping to make the podium for the first time at Peyongchang. (Supplied: Andrea Carloni)
Rock climbing has now become an escape from his training routine.

"It's as much a mental thing as anything. It's about breaking up that [routine]," he said.

"It's a lot more fun and it keeps me mentally engaged, in what would otherwise be a six or seven-day grind."
Victorian Institute of Sport strength coach Harry Brennan has been training Gourley hard in the lead-up to next year's games.

But he said it was clear Gourley's mental energy had increased since taking himself outside of the gym.

"You get the most from an athlete when they're happy," Brennan said.

"The different elements of a training program go a long way to an athlete enjoying their work."
Gourley knows his mental state will have a large bearing on his success at next year's games, and he is leaving nothing to chance.

"A lot of dry land training for skiing is fairly gym-focused, but it's nice to be able to work in other sports that I have a passion for into my routine," he said.

Article courtesy: Ben Lisson, ABC News