Bright snowsports future for Snow Australia Para FUTURES athletes

The Snow Australia Para FUTURES event recently concluded after three exciting days of adaptive snow sports at Perisher Resort

The event brought together seven talented new para-athletes, the Snow Australia High Performance Para Alpine National Team, guides from Disabled Wintersports Australia (DWA), Paralympics Australia and a fantastic team of classifiers.

The event was a showcase of skill and development while also being an important platform for promoting adaptive sports and progressing athletes on the development pathway

The Snow Australia Para FUTURES event aims to provide snowsports athletes with a physical (PI) or visual (VI) impairment with a fun and supportive environment, to demonstrate their abilities across different snow sports disciplines of para-alpine skiing and para-snowboarding. Their performances showcased not only their physical prowess but also their determination and resilience.

Snow Australia partnered with Paralympics Australia to deliver classification to the athletes, which is essential for ensuring fair competition across different impairment types.  Alongside the classification panel, six training classifiers also attended, learning all aspects of Para Alpine and Snowboard Classification. This new team of classifiers will strengthen future para-sport events, allowing for greater access for athletes to National Level classification, a critical step toward Paralympic competition.  

A highlight for many of the new athletes was being able to engage, train alongside and even race athletes from the Snow Australia High Performance Para Alpine National Team. 

FUTURES athlete, Joseph Fry said, “being able to ski with Josh [Hanlon] was fantastic! Just following his line showed me heaps. I rode with him on the chair and learnt so much”. 

“Skiing with Sam [Tait] is so much fun! I want to do everything I can to ski like him,” added FUTURES athlete Jonti Dimond.

Under the watchful eye of Snow Australia’s Para Team Manager and Alpine Coach, Ali Bombardier, and Paralympic Athlete and DWA leader, Shannon Dallas, all of the athletes participated in a fun race event on the final day of FUTURES, showcased their skills and challenging each other to better their times each run. 

The Snow Australia Para FUTURES event not only celebrates the achievements of para-athletes but also emphasizes the importance of inclusivity in sports

The event highlighted the depth of talent and excitement of adaptive snow sports and within the snowsports community, highlighting the dedication of para-athletes, the expertise of classifiers, and the potential of adaptive sports to bring the community together. It provided a platform for athletes to shine, learn to train, and for spectators to witness the magic of para-sport in action. 

We are already looking forward to next year’s Para FUTURES event so if you are a looking to move into the Para snowsport pathway, or know someone who would like to get involved, please reach out to Tom Hodges, Para Pathway Development Coordinator, on thodges@snow.org.au