Milano Cortina 2026: Your guide to Team Canada at the Paralympic Winter Games

The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will showcase the best of Para sport, delivering unforgettable moments in Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country, Para ice hockey, Para snowboard and wheelchair curling.

Up to 665 athletes from around 50 National Paralympic Committees are set to compete from 6–15 March, making Milano Cortina 2026 one of the most anticipated editions of the Paralympic Winter Games.

Discover the Canadian delegation at Milano Cortina 2026 and explore moments that shaped its Paralympic Winter Games journey.

Canada at Milano Cortina 2026

After winning 25 medals in Beijing, Canada’s Paralympic team hopes to pave the road to glory again at Milano Cortina 2026. 

There are hopes a mixture of veteran and emerging talent will hold Canada’s team in good stead at the Winter Paralympics in Italy.

Canada's Milano Cortina 2026 team consists of 50 athletes competing in Para alpine skiing, Para ice hockey, Para biathlon and Para cross-country skiing, Para snowboard, and wheelchair curling.

Medal hopes are strong for Para cross-country and Para biathlon, where there have been consistent podium finishes in recent years. 

Mark Arendz, 36, is headed to his fifth Paralympic Winter Games. He has already got 12 medals in his trophy cabinet, including two gold. Young gun Natalie Wilkie, who has three gold medals from a total of seven podiums from her past two Paralympics, is another name to watch.

Milano Cortina 2026 marks 20 years since Canada won gold in Para ice hockey and wheelchair curling at Torino 2006 and the teams will be looking to emulate those stellar performances. 

Canada’s Para ice hockey team will play in group B alongside Czechia, Japan and Slovakia. Greg Westlake, who retired after taking silver at Beijing 2022 and was an assistant coach for the team at the 2024 World Championships, is returning to the ice as a player in a bid to lead the team to the top of the podium.

Four years after taking bronze at Beijing 2022, Canada’s wheelchair curling team will be skipped by three-time Paralympian Mark Ideson. 

There will be seven athletes and a guide in Para alpine skiing, including six-time Paralympic medallist Mollie Jepsen and rising star Kalle Eriksson.

Making their debut are two Para snowboarders, Philippe Nadreau and Chase Nicklin, joining two-time Paralympians Sandrine Hamel and Alex Massie, as well as Beijing 2022 gold medallist Tyler Turner. 

Canada’s top moments at the Paralympic Winter Games

Ornskoldsvik 1976: Trailblazers

Canada earned two gold medals at the inaugural Paralympic Winter Games in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden. The late John Gow topped the podium in the Para alpine skiing men’s slalom IV A alpine skiing race. 

Meanwhile, Lorna Manzer became the first Canadian woman to win gold at the Ornskoldsvik games, netting the women’s short distance 5km race II.

She also brought home two bronze medals in the women’s slalom II and giant slalom II.
Four years later, she backed up with another gold and silver medal at the 1980 Winter Paralympics in Geilo, Norway.

Torino 2006: Canada’s dream teams take the spotlight

Canada’s Para ice hockey and wheelchair curling teams both finished top of the podium at the Torino 2006 Winter Paralympics.

Captain Todd Nicholson and his team blitzed Norway 3-0 to take out Para ice hockey gold for the first time.

The team has shown consistent form with six out of eight podium finishes since the sport’s introduction in 1994 at Lillehammer.

Meanwhile, wheelchair curling made its Paralympic debut at the Torino 2006 Games. The Canadian team, skippered by Chris Daw, was undefeated across the tournament and beat Great Britain in the final.

It was the beginning of a hat trick for the Canadians – winning gold again on home soil at Vancouver 2010 and then Sochi in 2014.

Vancouver 2010:  Golden gal Lauren Woolstencroft on home soil

Canada hosted the Vancouver 2010 Winter Paralympics and the team made their country proud, winning 10 gold medals – the most at a single Games.

Half that medal haul belonged to one athlete, Lauren Woolstencroft, a Para alpine skiing excitement machine.

She became the first Canadian Winter Paralympian to win five gold medals at a single Games and was the country’s flagbearer at the Closing Ceremony. 

PyeongChang 2018: Six-cess for Mark Arendz

Para biathlete Mark Arendz left South Korea with a podium finish in all six of his events. He won gold in the men's 15km standing and also claimed two silvers and three bronze medals. 

Arendz, who has earned the Para biathlon World Cup overall title for the past three consecutive seasons, also won a gold, silver and a bronze at Beijing 2022. He is set to make his fifth Paralympic appearance at Milano Cortina 2026.

Beijing 2022: Brian McKeever makes history

Canadian Para cross-country legend Brian McKeever claimed his 16th gold medal at the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics, equalling the record for the most titles.

Three gold medals in the men’s long distance classic VI, the sprint free VI, and middle distance free VI races helped McKeever draw level with German Para alpine champion Gerd Schoenfelder for the most victories.

McKeever is Canada’s most decorated Winter Paralympian. As well as his extensive collection of gold medals, he also netted two silver and two bronze medals across six Paralympic Winter Games.

McKeever retired after the Beijing Games and is now the head coach of Canada’s Para cross-country and biathlon team. It’s his first games in the job.

Beijing 2022:  Tyler Turner wins Canada’s first Para snowboard gold

Tyler Turner won his country’s first gold medal in Para snowboard.
Storming to victory in the men’s snowboard cross SB-LL1, he also picked up a bronze in the men’s banked slalom SB-LL1 at the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics.

The skydiving instructor vowed to celebrate the victory with an “air bath”. 
Watch him in action defending his title at Milano Cortina 2026.

Secure your tickets for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games  

Milano Cortina 2026, which takes place from 6-15 March 2026, is set to be the most beautiful Paralympic Winter Games yet. Ticket prices start at EUR 10 for children under 14, with approximately 89 per cent of the tickets available for EUR 35 or less.

For more information, please visit tickets.milanocortina2026.org