Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy – At just 16 years old, Liana France has made history as Australia’s youngest female Winter Paralympian, debuting at the 2026 Milano Cortina Games. The young para skier’s journey to the Paralympics, inspired by a childhood fascination with skiing sparked by the children’s television show Peppa Pig, is a testament to resilience and determination.
France’s debut came in the women’s giant slalom, where she finished 15th out of 22 competitors in the standing category. Alongside teammate Georgia Gunew, 22 and her guide Ethan Jackson, 25, France represents a new generation of Australian winter athletes. The support from the crowd was palpable, with one fan holding a custom pink flag featuring France’s face.
France’s path to the Paralympics took an unexpected turn at age 13 when she suffered a hand injury in a vehicle accident, resulting in the partial amputation of her left hand and multiple fractures. She underwent 20 surgeries in an attempt to save her hand, but ultimately adapted to skiing with a physical impairment. Despite this challenge, her passion for the sport never wavered.
“I don’t want to jinx myself, but this is my first games at 16. So in the future, I would say that I’m definitely one to watch from Australia,” France stated after her debut, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
From Peppa Pig to the Paralympic Stage
France’s love for skiing began at the age of two after watching an episode of Peppa Pig titled ‘Snowy Mountain,’ featuring Madame Gazelle as a ski instructor. She asked her parents to take her to the snow for her birthday, and she quickly fell in love with the sport, progressing through ski school, junior workshops, and race club by age nine. Her early ambition was to compete in the Olympics, a goal that shifted to the Paralympics following her accident. She even carried a checklist from her junior workshops, hoping to have it fully signed off by an official at the Games, as reported by Paralympics Australia.
“Who would have ever thought that the nine-year-old Liana who said ‘I want to go to the Olympics’, and changed to the Paralympics after the accident, that we’ve been able to secure her and support her to get this far? She’s absolutely amazing,” France’s mother said.
A Team Effort and Inspiring Others
France’s debut was made even more special by the presence of her best friend, Ella, who had promised to be there if either of them reached this level of competition. “She’s such an inspiration for everyone… She’s everything that she wants to be,” Ella said, adding, “Just the fact that she’s gotten back up and gotten on the snow and gone ‘nup, won’t stop me’.”
The camaraderie within the Australian team was also evident, with teammate Georgia Gunew emphasizing the importance of having another female competitor. Gunew, who lost her vision at 15 due to Stargardt’s macular dystrophy, competes with guide Ethan Jackson. “Ethan is one of the girls,” Gunew remarked. Gunew finished 11th of 15 in the women’s giant slalom vision impaired category, reaching speeds of up to 100km/h with Jackson’s guidance.
“It’s great skiing with Liana too. I’m so stoked,” Gunew said. “I’ve never had another female competitor from Australia in the same day as me in the whole time I’ve been skiing with the team. So it’s been so cool. She’s very young and energetic and always has something a bit funny to say, so I love having her on the team.”
Both France and Gunew are scheduled to compete in their preferred events, the women’s slalom, on Saturday. France, currently residing in Beechworth, Victoria, and attending Beechworth High School, is classified as a LW6/8-2 standing skier. She was selected to Snow Australia’s Emerging Talent Program in early 2025, building on her earlier participation in the Snow Australia Children’s Carnival in 2022 and a Future Green and Gold talent search event at the Australian Institute of Sport in 2024, as detailed by Wikipedia.
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games are being broadcast on the Nine Network, 9Now, and Stan Sport. The Falls Creek community, where France has trained extensively, is also celebrating her achievement, recognizing the resort’s role in her development as a competitive alpine skier, according to Falls Creek.
With her Paralympic debut now complete, Liana France’s future in para alpine skiing looks bright. Her story serves as an inspiration to aspiring athletes and a powerful example of overcoming adversity. The upcoming slalom competition will provide another opportunity for France to showcase her talent on the world stage.
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