Dual season champions: snow sports Para athletes compete in Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics

If excelling at a sport to the point of reaching its elite level of competition seems like a remarkable feat, what about doing it in different sports — in summer and in winter? 

It may seem crazy to be both a Summer and Winter Paralympian, but no fewer than six Para Cross-Country World Cup athletes are exactly that, and most of them are not making their summer Paralympic debut in Paris 2024. 

The ultimate example is the "Power Couple" of Aaron Pike and Oksana Masters (USA), who have participated in every Paralympic Games since London 2012! For their 7^th edition of the Games – 4^th in the summer – they will compete in Athletics and Road Cycling, respectively. Aaron will run middle-distance and long-distance races in the T54 category. His teammate and fiancée, a 17-time Paralympic medalist (including seven golds), will defend her two titles won in Road Para Cycling in Tokyo in the H5 category.  

A multiple Paralympic medalist herself — with six medals, four of which gold —  Kendall Gretsch (USA) began her Paralympic career in winter 2018, in Pyeongchang. For her 4^th Paralympics, she will compete in the Para Triathlon in the PTWC category.

A fierce competitor to Oksana and Kendall on the snow, Aline dos Santos Rocha (BRA) will be on the starting line for several races on the Stade de France track. After her debut at home in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, the Brazilian is proud to once again represent her country at the Paralympic Games.

For European athletes, the Paris Paralympic Games will be their first summer edition. Bronze medalist in Para Cross-Country at the Beijing Winter Games, Giuseppe Romele (ITA), already an accomplished swimmer, will participate for the first time in the Para Triathlon, starting from the iconic Pont Alexandre III.

The Summer Paralympic debut of Benjamin Daviet (FRA) will take place on the waters of Vaires-sur-Marnes in Para Rowing, on 30^th August. With five Paralympic Champion titles in Para Cross-Country and Para Biathlon (in addition to five other Paralympic medals), the Frenchman, accompanied by his partner Perle Bouge, is determined to proudly carry the French flag at these home Games.

The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will take place next Wednesday, 28 August, following the thrilling success of the Olympic Games in the French capital. A week before the first Paralympic competitions, the Paris 2024 organizing committee announced that 1.75 million tickets have been sold, bringing fifteen sports to a fill rate of over 75% and even ten sports to a fill rate of over 90%. 

The whole 2024 Paralympics schedule is available here: Paralympic Schedule | Paris 2024 (olympics.com)