Olympics
Australia’s most decorated Winter Paralympian, Michael Milton, has announced a stunning comeback bid—nearly two decades after he retired from elite skiing. The 52-year-old plans to chase qualification for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, reigniting a career that already spans more than 20 years and 11 Paralympic medals, including six gold.
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Milton, who first made history in 1992 when he claimed Australia’s first-ever Winter Paralympic gold medal, has long been considered an icon of Australian sport. Over his career, he competed in five Winter Paralympic Games from Innsbruck 1988 to Torino 2006, before making his Summer Games debut as a Para-cyclist in Beijing 2008 after overcoming oesophageal cancer. His achievements earned him the 2002 Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability and induction into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2014. He also holds the all-time speed skiing record for an athlete with a disability of 213.65 kilometers per hour (132.76 miles per hour).
Encouraged by strong results at this year’s Para-Alpine National Championships in Thredbo, where he won both the Slalom and Giant Slalom, Milton will head to Europe in mid-November to train and race across the northern winter. The wins have already qualified him to compete in the World Cup series in Giant Slalom, and he now has until February 15 to post qualifying times in all five alpine disciplines — Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, Downhill, and Combined.
“After everything I’ve been through—two cancer battles, surgeries, post-cancer fatigue—it might sound crazy to be thinking about elite racing again. But skiing is what I love. It’s who I am. Setting a big goal like this gives me focus, motivation, and energy. I don’t want to sit still; I want to live as fully as I can.”
— Michael Milton
Milton’s comeback comes just months after he broke his hip in Austria while preparing to ski the Haute Route, a seven-day traverse from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn. Despite the setback, he said the experience reaffirmed his determination to pursue a new challenge. “Having survived cancer for a third time, I need big goals now more than ever,” he said. “The 2026 Paralympic Games could be my next big project, something that motivates me every day to train and be as healthy as I can be.”
Australian Paralympic Team Chef de Mission Ben Troy welcomed the news, calling Milton “an icon of Australian sport and our greatest Winter Paralympian.” Troy added, “In many ways, he put Paralympic Winter sport on the map in this country. Whatever the circumstances and however unlikely it may seem for him to return to the Paralympic Games after so long, you never write off a champion.”
Milton will self-fund his campaign, training on a glacier in Austria before racing across Europe in December and January. He hopes to secure sponsorships to support the costs of training, travel, and competition. “Perhaps there’s a company executive out there who can see the value in helping me inspire others to dream big and live passionately,” he said.
His return comes as Australia’s Winter Paralympic program experiences unprecedented growth, with Milano-Cortina 2026 set to feature one of its largest ever teams at the Paralympic Games next March. Australian Paralympians will compete in four sports for the first time: Para-alpine skiing, Para-snowboard, Para-cross country, and Para-biathlon.
“I know it’s going to be hard,” Milton said, “but that’s not a reason not to go for it.”
