00:00Up before the crack of dawn, it's a gruelling routine for these Paralympic hopefuls.
00:09We're on snow before the sun's up, so you really have to love it or you wouldn't do it.
00:14A combination of precision, balance and bravery is needed to ski these mountains at speed.
00:20When you're looking down, there are a lot of gates in front of you.
00:23It's pretty steep, sometimes it can be a bit icy, a little bit foggy.
00:26Alpine skier Georgia Ganev does it differently than most.
00:30She became legally blind at the age of 15 due to a genetic condition called Stargardt's macular dystrophy.
00:38It was a really scary time. It happened really fast.
00:41The former competitive hockey player never planned on skiing,
00:45but she now chases the snow season, competing with her guide Ethan Jackson.
00:50We're super close. We spend lots of time here.
00:52For the big moments in our lives, I feel like we're pretty there for each other as well.
00:55Ethan travels directly in front of Georgia, giving her directions in a headset.
01:01We both have mics, so Ethan's able to let me know what's coming up and I'm able to let him know where I'm at.
01:06For a visually impaired athlete, changes in light, changes in terrain, snow quality and stuff like that.
01:12Just trying to give them as much time.
01:14The pair are hoping to qualify for the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.
01:19They're so big and it's what we've been working towards like the last four years. I'm super excited.
01:25The first Paralympic Winter Games were held in Sweden nearly half a century ago.
01:30Now, around 600 athletes are set to compete in the upcoming games in Italy next year.
01:36The Aussie Winter Paralympic team is currently made up of four athletes.
01:41So it's just a small team, but we pack a little punch and we're looking to grow.
01:46It's fascinating because every day I come out and I've got to work with people that have a different disability,
01:50so we're going to work to their strengths and working with what equipment we can adapt and how we can do that.
01:56A team in pursuit of peak performance.
01:59Good!
02:00The implications are the ones who have been playing.
02:02All learning paths naar school between myself.
02:03The internship life is the two of them and the 2018 they're seen throughout Missouri.
02:06That's right.
02:08The early year when they're starting out to stay, is trying to get to do something different.
02:09And even when the internship moves from personal life is an amazing thing.
02:12Okay, we're looking to go through that, and if everything becomes great for lunch,
02:15we're going to be running out of place.
02:20However, we're looking at hurdles and where we can go for it.
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