Australia is about to head into the 2026 Winter Paralympics with one of its biggest, and quite possibly strongest, teams ever.
Fourteen athletes have been named in the squad, including a couple of veterans, alongside several debutants.
Despite having competed at Winter Paralympics since its beginning in 1976, Australia has struggled to find consistent success at Games.
It's been a long journey for the athletes, so here are your Aussies to look out for, as well as some of the biggest stars from other nations.
Para snowboard: Ben Tudhope
Ben Tudhope is competing in his fourth Paralympic Games, having made his debut in Sochi (2014) at the tender age of 14.
After Sochi, the seasoned snowboarder went on to claim a bronze medal at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games in the snowboard cross, as well as a slew of World Championships medals.
At the start of the year, on the Snowboard World Cup circuit, Tudhope made history by becoming the first para snowboarder for Australia to claim 50 world cup circuit podium finishes.
He is on fire at the moment, but the question is, can Tudhope equal his bronze from Beijing, or even go one or two better?
When is he competing? Tudhope's classification is SB-LL1. Qualifying for snowboard cross begins on February 7, with finals on February 8. Banked slalom finals are on February 14.
Para snowboard: Amanda Reid
Amanda Reid is making history as Australia's first Indigenous Winter Paralympian.
A proud Wemba Wemba and Guring-Gai woman, she is already a Paralympic medallist, having won gold and silver at the last three Summer Games in cycling.
Switching seasons and sports, Reid is proving herself a versatile athlete, competing in the snowboard cross and banked slalom in Milano Cortina.
With a 2023 World Para Snowboard Championship gold medal under her belt already, Reid could be in with a chance to claim a podium finish at these Games.
When is she competing? Reid's classification is SB-LL2. Qualifying for snowboard cross begins on February 7, with finals on February 8. Banked slalom finals are on February 14.
Para biathlon and Para cross-country: Dave Miln
Dave Miln has already shown that he can compete at the highest level of Nordic sports, having claimed silver in the Para biathlon at the 2025 Invictus Games.
Since then, he has been working relentlessly on the World Cup circuit to ensure he can replicate this success in Milano Cortina.
It has only been three years since Miln, who is also a serving member of the defence force, acquired his disability, and he has shown resilience and grit to succeed.
Can he replicate his Invictus Games success?
When is he competing? Miln's classification is LW12. Para biathlon events are held on March 7, 8 and 13.
Para snowboard: Sean Pollard
The captain of the Australian team at Milano Cortina, this is Sean Pollard's second Winter Paralympics, having also competed in Pyeong Chang in 2018.
Competing in the snowboard cross and banked slalom, Pollard is a strong contender on the slopes, claiming his first International Paralympic Committee World Cup medal in 2019.
At the 2018 Games, Pollard finished fifth in banked slalom and ninth in the snowboard cross.
Pollard will be keen to lead the team by example, showing his focus and drive. He hopes that will include claiming medals on the slopes.
When is he competing? Pollard's classification is SB-UL. Qualifying for snowboard cross begins on February 7, with finals on February 8. Banked slalom finals are on February 14.
Para alpine skiing: Georgia Gunew
Only 23-years-old, Georgia Gunew is making her Paralympic debut at Milano Cortina, with a lot of talent up her sleeve.
She only started competing internationally in 2023, claiming her first medal on the World Cup circuit in the slalom.
In the 2024-25 season, Gunew added two more World Cup medals, in the slalom and giant slalom, signalling to the world that she is a growing force to be reckoned with.
Alongside her guide, Gunew, who is vision impaired, has regularly ranked inside the top 10 in World Cup rankings in the slalom, giant slalom and Super G.
The hope is that World Cup success can turn into Paralympic success in Milano Cortina.
When is she competing? Gunew's classification is AS2. Giant slalom (vision impaired) events are held on March 10 and 12. Slalom (vision impaired) is on March 14.
Para biathlon and cross-country skiing: Oksana Masters from the United States
Oksana Masters is one of those athletes that is good at everything.
She is the United States' most decorated Paralympian, having won 19 medals across both summer and winter Paralympics, in para rowing, para cycling, para biathlon and para cross-country.
Milano Cortina will be the 36-year-old's eighth Paralympic Games appearance, but it hasn't been the easiest of preparations for Masters, having missed a lot of the 2024-25 season due to an infection.
Despite these setbacks, Masters is looking to add to her already-impressive Paralympics medal haul.
Para alpine skiing: Anna-Lena Forster from Germany
One of Germany's most decorated sit-skiers. Anna-Lena Forster has shown a consistency across her career that is highly impressive.
With more than a decade of competition under her belt, Forster won two silver and a bronze at her debut at the 2014 Paralympics in Sochi, before claiming two gold consecutively at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Games.
Considered skiing royalty, Forster has also stood at the top of the podium at more than 40 world championships and world cup events.
But her focus is now on making the three-peat in alpine skiing at these Games.
Para snowboard: Tyler Turner from Canada
A standout snowboarder for Canada, Tyler Turner is known on the circuit for his explosive performances on the slopes.
Only acquiring his disability in 2017 after a skydiving accident, his sport journey has been remarkable, becoming the first Canadian to claim gold in the men's snowboard cross, alongside a bronze in the banked slalom at the 2022 Paralympics in Beijing.
Since Beijing, Turner has dominated on the snowboard, winning three straight World Cup Crystal Globes as well as back-to-back world titles.
In the same classification as our own Ben Tudhope, Turner will likely be the one to beat on the snowboard in Milano Cortina.
Who else should we pay attention to?
The Australia team may be one of the largest we have ever sent to the Paralympics but compared to the 53 athletes that represented Australia at the Olympics, it's still relatively small.
And while the team might struggle to claim the medal success our Olympians had, Australia's Paralympians are breaking boundaries in countless other ways.
Taryn Dickens is making history at Milano Cortina as the first Australian vision-impaired athlete to compete in the Nordic sports of para cross country and para biathlon.
Liana France is making her Paralympic debut at 16-years-of-age, making her the youngest on the team this year, competing in the para giant slalom and slalom LW6/8-2 events.
In early 2025, alpine skier Josh Hanlon claimed his first ever world cup medal, placing him in a good position for his second Winter Paralympics in Milano Cortina.
Matthew Brumby may be making his Paralympics debut in para biathlon and para cross country, but having won the para Ironman World Championships in 2019, has proven he has the grit to succeed.
Fellow debutant Aaron McCarthy has had a meteoric rise in snowboarding, securing his first international race win in 2025, giving him a good headstart into the Games.
Summer Paralympic gold medallist Lauren Parker is also making her winter Games debut. What makes her journey so remarkable is that she only started competing on snow a year ago, proving her innate talent when it comes to sport.
And finally, Australia's most-decorated winter Paralympian, Michael Milton, surprised everyone when he announced last year that he was making a comeback to alpine skiing.
Milton had a spectacular career at the winter Paralympics, competing from 1998 to 2006.
He is already a multiple Paralympic medallist, including six gold. The question is, 20 years later, can he go on to win gold again?
One other crucial element is the guides for vision-impaired athletes.
Ethan Jackson is Gunew's guide, having been a national level slalom and giant slalom skier in his own right, and Lynn Maree Cullen, who has competed on the international stage in biathlon, will be Dickens' guide.
While podium success may not be guaranteed, the breadth and depth of the team can't be denied. From athletes crossing sports and seasons, to veterans guiding the debutants, this is already a team we can be proud of.
