Georgia
Gunew

As a youngster, Georgia Gunew was a recreational skier and applied her competitive spirit to hockey. However, as her vision loss accelerated in her teens due to the genetic condition Stargardt’s macular dystrophy, she finished up with hockey and sought a new sporting outlet. 

“My grandma found an ad for Snow Australia and she said, ‘Why don’t you give this a go?’” said Georgia, whose last name is pronounced ‘Gun-ev’. 

It was a very good suggestion. After her fledgling career was put on hold during Covid, Georgia was included in the national set-up in 2023 and that northern season won her first medal on the World Cup circuit, in the slalom.  

In the 2024-25 season, she added another two medals, in slalom and giant slalom, placing her firmly in contention for a spot on the Australian Paralympic Team for Milano Cortina.  

Essential to Georgia’s rise up the ranks has been her sighted guide Ethan Jackson, who directs Georgia down the slopes at speeds upwards of 100 kilometres an hour. Ethan is a former national junior skier and the pair has formed a close bond.  

“I’m flying down a mountain at 100 k’s and if I didn’t trust him … I think the trust that we need to have is there,” Georgia said. “We spend a lot of time with each other and he’s very good for putting up with me because I can be quite frustrating and I have a lot of energy.” 

In 2024, Georgia was named Snow Australia’s Female Para Alpine Athlete of the Year after a season in which she and Ethan finished ranked inside the top 10 in the slalom, giant slalom and Super G visually impaired World Cup rankings. The pair made it consecutive wins at the Awards in 2025.