Milano Cortina 2026: El Salvador makes history in Para cross-country

David Chavez and Jonathan Arias will make history at the Milano Cortina 2026 Games for El Salvador as the country’s first athletes at either a Winter Paralympic Games or Winter Olympic Games. They compete in the Para cross-country competition in Val di Fiemme starting from 10 March. 

“Representing El Salvador and being the first Paralympic Winter Games athlete fills me with pride,” said David Chavez. 

“It represents the heart of all Salvadorans. It is something historic for El Salvador, having two Paralympic athletes at the Winter Games for the first time ever. This achievement is not just mine, or my family’s, or my teammates: it belongs to all of El Salvador.” 

From selling snow cones to skiing on snow 

El Salvador is a tropical nation located near the Equator dividing the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.  As a result, it has warm weather throughout the year and rarely sees any snow. 

For El Salvador’s other pioneer, Jonathan Arias, the journey has been something of a cinderella story, with a whirlwind road to qualifying for the Milano Cortina Games. 

“I used to sell snow cones from a cart in El Salvador near my house,” Arias said, reflecting on how he made a living with a snow product before he had ever seen the real thing. He credits his coach Rob Powers for introducing him to sport. Powers leads the nongovernmental organisation OneTeam El Salvador and trains both Chavez and Arias. 

“One day I met Rob, my coach, and he spotted my potential and suggested practicing surfing. After about three years of surfing, we switched to skiing. He provided us with two ski‑simulator machines and as we progressed, we gained strength,” Arias explained. 

“Then he introduced skiing on the sand at the beach, where we struggled more because it required more strength and endurance. It helped us (to) improve (our) skiing.”  

The dream of snow

Given the climate in El Salvador both athletes are more accustomed to skiing on sand than snow and it comes with its challenges. 

“At El Cocal beach, sometimes there’s rocks, and sometimes sand. When there’s sand, we take advantage to train on the beach,” Chavez said. “The sand sticks to the skis, making it hard to move.”  

For coach Rob Powers, the practice on sand could even represent a competitive edge: “It’s 10 times harder to ski on sand than on snow,” Powers told the IPC. 

While Chavez had been competing on snow since 2023, for Jonathan Arias it is still a new experience.  

“I have less than 100 days of practicing on snow,” Arias explained.   

Both athletes competed at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships Trondheim 2025 securing their qualifications for Milano Cortina 2026. For Arias, this was his first time at a World Championships. 

“It was incredible to see snow, visit other countries, meet new people, and make friends. I was so excited, I cried from the emotion, thinking about where I came from years ago and where I am now. That day was emotional,” said Arias. 

“I always had that dream when I was younger, to see snow, and it seemed impossible.” 

Last minute qualification 

Jonathan Arias’ dream of competing at these Winter Games came right down to the wire. 

“Unfortunately, I had an accident (and hurt) my leg and had to return to El Salvador for proper medical care,” he shared.  

“I spent about three months recovering...I stayed physically ready waiting for a response. We received it on February 16, right before coming to the training camp before the competitions here at Milano Cortina 2026. And thankfully we received the news that I could compete.” 

For Arias, after coming back from injury and having little time on snow, his ambitions for Milano Cortina are simply to experience the Games and enjoy them to the fullest. 

“To be honest, my goal is not to fall. Not to fall and to climb the ramps as fast as possible to get a good position.” 

Essential support 

Both Arias and Chavez received support from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Competition Support Grant.  

The grant supported the athletes’ international classification and travel to and from international competitions, under the Sport for Mobility programme which aims to encourage more participation in Para sport globally.   

“It’s important because with that support, I managed to qualify for the Paralympic Games,” Arias said. 

“Support, financial and emotional, is extremely important for an athlete, especially from a country without a winter‑sport tradition. Thanks to this support, we are here. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been possible.” 

Where to watch and listen to the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games

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