We’re so proud to announce that the Get Kids Going! supported Para Alpine Ski and Snowboard athletes have qualified for this year’s 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics!
Our young, talented team, who have been supported by the charity for four years and, who have been travelling the World, ‘skiing their socks off’ have done it! Yes, they have all qualified and are part of ParalympicsGB. It’s absolutely tremendous! We are so excited and so very proud!
The Get Kids Going! ski team, of six athletes and their guides, will represent Great Britain throughout the Games, starting with the Opening Ceremony in Verona on Friday 6th March.
The team, who make up almost half of ParalympicsGB, will be taking part in most of the ski and snowboard competitions.
Menna Fitzpatrick, from Macclesfield, who is Britain’s most celebrated VI skier, will be one of the Team’s flag bearers and is also one of the charity’s supported skiers. Menna, six-time Paralympic medalist, will be in action with her guide, Katie Guest, taking part in the Super Combined, Giant Slalom and Super G events.
Other Get Kids Going! supported athletes are:
Neil Simpson, VI skier, age 24, from Banchory, Scotland, (with his guides, Rob Poth and his brother Andrew), are planning to compete in the Downhill, Super Combined, Super G, Giant Slalom and Slalom events. In 2020 Neil was nominated for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award.
The charity is thrilled to learn also on the team are three of the charity’s teenage skiers;
Hester Poole, VI skier, age 18, from Bath, with her guide Ali Hall, who she has skied with since 2023, will be taking part in the VI Slalom and Giant Slalom. Hester began skiing at just six years old and was originally guided by her, brother, Benjie. Hester earned her place on the national pathway where she rose through the ranks of the Para Alpine Development Squad to the World Cup circuit.
Sam Cozens, VI skier, age 19, from Norwich, will be guided by Adam Hall, and will be in action in the Giant Slalom and Slalom. Sam has limited peripheral vision, only being able to see about six meters clearly. Sam started skiing at 4 years of age but has just recently achieved two third places in the Giant Slalom and two victories in the Slalom in Slovakia to qualify.
Dom Allen, only just 16 yrs, from Fife, Scotland. The Milano Cortina Games will be Dom’s debut paralympic appearance. Dom received his classification as recently as November when he podiumed at Jasna in Slovakia, winning the Slalom and finishing second in the Giant Slalom. In Cortina, Dom will be competing in the Slalom and Giant Slalom – LW6/8 classification. Dom is the youngest member of the squad.
Also, VI, Para Alpine skier, Fred Warburton, from Winteringham, North Lincolnshire, and his guide James Hannan, completed their selection to the team in January but we are pleased to say both made qualification. Fred will be competing in the Downhill, Super G, Super Combined and Giant Slalom. Fred was a keen runner and played rugby in his early youth at his home in Doncaster.
Last but, certainly, not least, is Get Kids Going! supported para snowboard athlete, James Barnes-Miller, from Broadstairs, winner of two Snowboard Crystal Globes and a number of World Cup podiums, will be keen to get out of the traps in a bid to take a medal in the Banked Slalom and Snowboard Cross!
Phil Smith, Chef de Mission for ParalympicsGB at the Milano Cortina 2026 Games said “I am absolutely thrilled to welcome these athletes to the ParalympicsGB team completing our fantastic team of 25 talented athletes. Everyone of them has the ability to win a medal!”
Jane Emmerson, Chief Executive, of Get Kids Going! said
“The Charity is delighted with the news. We are very proud of our youngsters! We know how hard they have worked, travelling the world to gain qualification, and they really deserve to be part of ParalympicsGB and on the world stage! The charity has given them over £250,000 in funding, over the last 4 years, which they really did need to enable them to qualify! We could not have done this without the wonderful support of the charity’s donors. The team are so talented. A wonderful success story… that brings tears to my eyes! We are planning to be in Cortina to see them in action and hopefully they will bring back a medal!”
You can keep up with the Get Kids Going! athletes and all the ParalympicsGB team on Channel 4 and Channel 4 Streaming, with every minute of action on Channel 4 Sport’s YouTube. There will be more than 60 hours of sport live from the Italian Dolomites.
The 2026 Milano Cortina Paralympic Games beginning this Friday, 6th March at 6.30pm with the Opening Ceremony LIVE from Verona and will be broadcast daily on Channel 4 until the Closing Ceremony, in Cortina, on Sunday 15th March.