FALLS Creek hosted members of the Australian Para-Alpine team in the resort last week, including sit-ski athlete Josh Hanlon, a Beijing Paralympian from Wagga Wagga in NSW, and visually-impaired athlete Georgia Gunew from Brisbane.
Guiding Georgia was Amelia Hodgson from Jindabyne.
Liana France, a Falls Creek Race Club athlete with an arm impairment following a farm vehicle accident, was also with the group - she is a development athlete for the team.
“Amelia, my guide, is in front of me as we ski down the hill," explained Georgia.
"We have awesome headsets that allow her to talk to me and let me know what’s coming up.”
Athletes in alpine skiing events combine speed and agility while racing down the slopes at speeds up to 100km per hour.
Athletes with a physical or vision impairment may compete in para-alpine events, including slalom, giant slalom, and downhill.
Skiers with a vision impairment are guided through the course by sighted guides using voice signals to indicate the course to follow and athletes with a physical impairment use equipment adapted to their needs, including single skis, sit-skis or orthopaedic aids.
Falls Creek is the ideal location for para-alpine training and is home to the Disabled Winter Sports (DWA) Hub, which was new for the 2023 snow season.
