Ask the Paralympic pioneers: Gerd Schoenfelder on Para alpine skiing

Get ready for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. The Paralympic Winter Games return to Italy for the first time since 2006, gathering up to 665 athletes across six sports: Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para ice hockey, Para snowboard and wheelchair curling.

This week, hear directly from legendary Paralympians as they answer your top questions about their sports.

We caught up with Germany’s 16-time Paralympic champion Gerd Schoenfelder who shared everything you need to know about Para alpine skiing. Schoenfelder, who won 22 medals across six Games from Albertville 1992 to Vancouver 2010, is the most successful winter Paralympic athlete of all time. 

What does Schoenfelder say the key to success is in the sport? 

 

Para alpine skiing 101: The sport for everyone

1.    What is Para alpine skiing?

Para alpine skiing is alpine ski racing for athletes with physical disabilities. The special thing about Para alpine skiing is the opportunity to practise this sport together with friends without any restrictions. Speed, acceleration, centrifugal forces and the feeling of freedom in the mountains and in nature are the things that make this sport so fascinating for me!

 

2.    How did you get started in Para alpine skiing?

I grew up in the low mountain range in Bavaria in the south of Germany. The nearest ski lift was only 2 km away. I started skiing at the age of three and immediately fell in love with the sport. I competed in my first race at the age of six! 

 

 

3.    What did you enjoy the most about competing?

I have always been fascinated by sporting competitions.

Comparing myself with others and pushing myself to my personal limit have always been fun. The excitement and tension before the start is just as much a part of it as the joy and happiness of success, and also the opportunity to draw new motivation from failures in order to do better next time.

 

4.    What were the biggest challenges you faced in the sport?

The biggest challenge in Para alpine skiing is to remain free of serious injuries for many years. Hard summer training is essential in order to be able to cope well with the strain during the long season with many races. The trick is then to be able to call up your absolute best performance at the decisive moment. Above all, this requires mental strength. Ultimately, it's an interplay. Between a well-trained body, hard work for a good skiing technique and mental strength during the competition.

 

 

Inside the Para alpine skiing playbook 

1.    Can you explain the equipment used in different categories?

Basically, the equipment used in Para alpine skiing is bound by the same FIS rules that athletes without disabilities must also observe. Sports prostheses are only used as leg prostheses for athletes with lower leg amputations. The equipment used by sit-skiers has developed steadily in recent years due to the more modern possibilities. Equipment is really high-tech. Here it is particularly important to find the right set-up for the respective discipline, the racetrack, the snow conditions and personal physical abilities.

Athletes with vision impairment and their guides can use modern headsets with intercom systems for better guiding. 

 

2.    How fast can athletes ski, and how do they maintain balance?

The possible top speeds naturally depend heavily on the discipline and the course session. In the downhill, 130 km per hour can be reached in the standing category and 115 km per hour in the sitting category.

However, the challenge is not the maximum speed, but rather the speed at which the curves can be taken. Here it really depends on how well the athlete can keep their balance with their physical abilities, for example to compensate for bumps in the slope. You have to develop these skills in daily training, both in condition training and on the slopes.

 

3.    What’s the difference between technical and speed events, and how do you train for each?

The difference between technical disciplines and speed disciplines is difficult to explain in a few sentences. A good skiing technique is always a basic requirement, regardless of the discipline. In slalom and giant slalom, the speed of the physical activity comes into play due to the narrower gate distances. In contrast, you have a little more time between the gates in the speed disciplines Super-G and downhill. Due to the higher speed, maximum strength is required to counteract these forces. An extra portion of courage is also required.

 

4.    Do you have an interesting fact or trivia about the sport that many people might not know?

An interesting detail that many spectators are often unaware of is the fact that athletes have the opportunity to view the respective run before each race. This means that you usually have 30 minutes and are only allowed to slide through the course very slowly. It is therefore not possible to test drive before the actual race. I had my own special system for memorising the run from the first to the last gate and memorising it with all its special features. This meant I could run through the course in my head as many times as necessary beforehand. Personally, this always gave me a lot of confidence. However, there are a lot of differences in the way athletes approach this. 

One exception is the downhill! Due to the high speeds and the risk of injury, there must always be the opportunity to do two training runs. You can slowly feel your way up to your personal limit in the race with a good feeling.

 

 

Paralympic Winter Games at the centre

1.    Can you share your memories of your first Paralympic Winter Games?

At my first Paralympics in 1992 in Albertville, France, I was just 21 years old and my accident, in which I lost my right arm, was only two years ago. I was still a real rookie without much previous experience, but with an extreme desire for these competitions. Although it was the first Paralympics to be held hand in hand with the Olympic Games, it was still a comparatively small event.

My first race was in the downhill. I was extremely excited as I hadn't made it to the finish in either of the two training runs beforehand. Thanks to a very good split time, I was allowed to start anyway and then sensationally won my first gold medal.

It is an extraordinary moment in an athlete's life when you hear the national anthem and realise that you have won for your country. It's a moment you certainly won't forget.

 

2.    What is your favourite Paralympic memory?

All of the six Paralympic Games that I have been able to experience as an athlete have had a variety of special moments. My comeback in Nagano 1998 was certainly exceptional, when I tore my left cruciate ligament during the first downhill training session due to a fall and a good week later, thanks to outstanding physiotherapy combined with my absolute willpower, I was still able to win the bronze medal in the giant slalom and two days later gold in the slalom.

But my absolute highlight was definitely my last Paralympic race. It was the super combined. In Vancouver on 20 March, 2010, I won my 16th gold medal and my wife gave birth to our son at home in Germany at exactly the same time. So it was the absolute Hollywood-ready, super super combination, so to speak!

 

 

3.    How do you think Paralympic sport has evolved since you started?

The development of the 1992 Games in Albertville compared to the 2010 Games in Vancouver was extreme. The Paralympics have established themselves as an independent brand. The Paralympics in London 2012 in particular have set new standards.

The Paralympics have reached the general public and the athletes' achievements are valued, recognised and respected. The coverage is highly professional. As far as the promotion and support of athletes is concerned, the system in the countries is becoming more and more similar to that of Olympic sport. Some countries are faster than others, but the majority are moving in the same direction. That is wonderful to see. There is still room for improvement, but it is also a development that has to happen step by step and not by force. The respective sports must also grow along with the entire system!

 

Counting down to Milano Cortina 2026 

1.    What excites you most about the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games?

Personally, I am very pleased that the upcoming Paralympics will once again take place in a country where winter sports have a great tradition. Italy is a great winter sports nation with outstanding competition venues and successful athletes. They have a lot of experience there thanks to the World Cup events that take place every year. 

I always think the conditions in Cortina are great. There are usually perfect slope conditions and good weather. I hope it will be the same for the Paralympics. What's more, the Italian cuisine is outstanding, which also contributes to the general feeling of well-being!

 

2.    What can fans look out for when watching Para alpine skiing? 

I can only recommend that you secure your tickets, support all the athletes and enjoy what is sure to be a fantastic time in the Dolomites with all its advantages!

 

3.    Can you share a message or a piece of advice for athletes competing at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games?

I wish all athletes an injury-free preparation for these Games. Do your best, and, above all, have fun and passion for what you do. The Games in Cortina are sure to be great! Look forward to it and enjoy every moment!

 

 

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