Legally-blind skier Georgia Gunew vying for winter Paralympic Games

Para-alpine skier Georgia Gunew is training to compete in the Paralympic Games.

Transcript

00:00Up before the crack of dawn, it's a gruelling routine for these Paralympic hopefuls.

00:08We're on snow before the sun's up, so you really have to love it or you wouldn't do it.

00:13A combination of precision, balance and bravery is needed to ski these mountains at speed.

00:19When you're looking down, there are a lot of gates in front of you.

00:22It's pretty steep, sometimes can be a bit icy, a little bit foggy.

00:25Alpine skier Georgia Ganev does it differently than most.

00:29She became legally blind at the age of 15 due to a genetic condition called Stargardt's macular dystrophy.

00:37It was a really scary time, it happened really fast.

00:40The former competitive hockey player never planned on skiing,

00:44but she now chases the snow season, competing with her guide Ethan Jackson.

00:49We're super close, spend lots of time here, like for the big moments in our lives,

00:53I 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.

01:12The pair are hoping to qualify for the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

01:17They're so big and it's what we've been working towards like the last four years.

01:21I'm super excited.

01:23The first Paralympic Winter Games were held in Sweden nearly half a century ago.

01:27Now, around 600 athletes are set to compete in the upcoming games in Italy next year.

01:33The Aussie Winter Paralympic team is currently made up of four athletes.

01:38So it's just a small team, but we pack a little punch.

01:42It's fascinating because every day I come out and I've got to work with people that have a different disability,

01:47so we get to work to their strengths, working with what equipment we can adapt and how we can do that.

01:52A team in pursuit of peak performance.