From Equipment Grants To The Paralympic Games

Published 6 March, 2026

The spotlight will fall firmly on Australia’s Winter Paralympians as they launch into competition at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, starting on March 6.

The nation will watch them soar, stumble, triumph and fall. They will feel their excitement and pride, their heartbreak and their joy. What it won’t see is everything that carried them there: the coaches, the pathways, the preparation and the unwavering belief.

No athlete reaches the Paralympic stage alone.

Competing at the pinnacle – literally on snow-capped mountains and figuratively at the highest level – takes more than raw talent. It takes a system: a connected system of people, pathways and programs working together to build capability, nurture potential and remove the barriers to performance.

For Australia’s Winter Paralympians, that high performance ecosystem includes their National Sporting Organisations – namely Snow Australia and Biathlon Australia – expert coaches, classification, national pathways and Paralympics Australia’s Para Sport Equipment Enhancement Program (PEEP), delivered as part of the broader national high performance framework supported by the Australian Sports Commission and the Australian Government.

“At its core, PEEP is designed to strengthen the Para sport pathway from grassroots to elite,” said PA’s Para Sport Equipment Enhancement Manager, Liam Wood.

“For many Paralympians, the pathway to the Games is not linear. This is particularly the case for athletes who acquire their impairment. Ensuring athletes have access to the right customised equipment at the right time throughout the breadth of the Para pathway reduces barriers to progression and ultimately, lead to a greater number of Para athletes competing and representing on the ultimate stage – The Paralympic Games. This is why PEEP is such a critical component of the Para sport ecosystem in Australia,” he added.

In Winter Para sport, equipment isn’t a luxury, it’s performance infrastructure. It determines whether an athlete can legally start, handle technical terrain at speed, protect their body in high-impact disciplines and prepare with Paralympic level precision.

Without the right equipment, opportunities narrow. With it, they expand.

“Through targeted investment in essential high performance equipment, PEEP helps to remove critical barriers and give athletes the tools they need to train consistently, safely and with confidence,” Wood added.

For four athletes selected to represent Australia at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, that system-level investment has been transformational.

For 16-year-old Liana France, the barrier was absolute.

International alpine racing demands FIS-compliant skis, race-spec boots and equipment built to withstand the force of elite competition. But following her acquired injury, one piece was critical above all else: a custom-built wrist and hand orthosis to protect her left hand and enable her to safely cross-block slalom gates at speed.

Without it, entry wasn’t only difficult, it was unsafe.

Through PEEP support, France secured the orthosis (which she has affectionately nicknamed “BERTHA”), alongside race boots and FIS-compliant GS skis which she has used extensively in both training and competition. The orthosis is worn every time she is on snow, providing essential protection and the functional capacity to race with confidence.

The impact has been decisive. With the security to commit fully to her edges and absorb contact through the gates, she has returned not just to competition, but to performance at the highest level and, at the Games, she will become Australia’s youngest ever female Winter Paralympian – proof that when talent meets targeted investment, pathways open.

After surviving a traumatic accident in 2022, David Miln discovered sit skiing during rehabilitation. Training on borrowed equipment limited his ability to transfer power and navigate technical courses. A PEEP-supported custom-engineered sit ski, built specifically to his body mechanics and impairment, changed that equation.

The improvements were immediate: greater efficiency, faster acceleration, and the ability to prepare at genuine world-class intensity. He has now been selected to compete in Milano Cortina, becoming one of three Australian Para biathlete at the Games in two decades.

“Beyond the measurable performance gains, the equipment has given me greater access to consistent, high-quality training. I can now train with confidence in all snow conditions, without the mechanical limitations that previously held me back,” Miln said.

“This support has turned what was once a personal rehabilitation journey into a performance-driven athletic pursuit, giving me the tools to chase excellence rather than just recovery.”

For Para snowboarder Aaron McCarthy, racing often exceeds 60 kilometres per hour. Through PEEP funding, he secured an Apex CSTM Snowboard SBX PRO 158 cm – a high-performance snowboard cross race board engineered for optimal torsional stiffness, edge hold power and transfer, ensuring he can approach his first Paralympic Games equipped for both safety and speed.

“This grant is a targeted investment in my readiness and equality as a competitor. With this equipment, I can meet the global standard expected of high performance athletes and continue progressing on the world stage,” McCarthy said.

“Ultimately, this support empowers more than athletic performance – it enables opportunity, inclusion, and excellence. It ensures that when I arrive at the start gate, I do so with full confidence, prepared to compete fiercely, represent Australia with purpose, and help grow visibility for Para sport and rural athletes.”

Finally, Australian Paralympic Team captain Sean Pollard knows Para snowboard cross and banked slalom are decided by hundredths of a second. World-class Apex race boards, supported through PEEP, ensure he will compete on equal footing with the world’s best in Milano.

Across these four athletes, the investment totals over $15,000.

The return? Four Paralympic selections, a national team captain, Australia’s youngest female Winter Paralympian and Australia’s first Para Nordic representatives in more than two decades.

But the impact runs deeper than milestones.

PEEP is not just about equipment, it’s about equity within Australia’s high performance system. It exists to remove barriers that too often limit potential before it can be realised, strengthening the entire Para sport pathway, from emerging talent to Paralympic representation.

Through collaborative investment across Paralympics Australia, National Sporting Organisations and the Australian Sports Commission, Australia’s Para sport pipeline is not only strengthened, but also future-proofed to deliver sustained high performance outcomes.

And the opportunity continues.

“This is the moment to invest in what comes next. Further PEEP grants remain open to support athletes, coaches, clubs and organisations ready to remove equipment barriers and elevate opportunity,” said Wood.

“These grants are about more than gear, they’re about giving athletes, coaches and clubs the chance to compete, improve, and excel. With PEEP support, barriers are removed and pathways opened,” he added.

Whether enabling first time participation, supporting pathway progression, or strengthening high-performance ambitions, targeted equipment investment is one of the most practical ways to strengthen Australia’s Para sport system.

In Milano, the impact of this investment will be on full display – the world will witness athletes performing at their peak, supported by a national high performance ecosystem delivering exactly what it was built to do.

Find out more and to apply: Para Sport Equipment Enhancement Program – Paralympics Australia