Para Nordic Program
Nordic Racers Para Nordic Development Program consists of a group of club members who work together to encourage and facilitate participation in our sport by people with physical disabilities. We target individuals who meet disability qualifications as described for Canada’s paralympic team participants.
The Para Nordic program is always looking for people to help us help more people with a physical disability go skiing. If you might like to volunteer, complete your sign-up information here: Volunteer Registration Form
If you have questions, send an email to adaptive@nordicracers.ca for more information on how you can get involved.
Another way to help out is to make a financial contribution. Skiing really helps people with disabilities stay active during the winter, but it can be an expensive sport to get into, especially when special gear such as sit-skis are needed. Please consider a donation! And note - anyone is welcome to donate this way, i.e., not just club members.
Click here to donate: 2024/2025 Nordic Racers-Para Nordic Contribution
High-performance Para Nordic Athletes
While most participants ski primarily for recreation, Nordic Racers club has had paralympic athletes attend the past four Paralympics (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022). We currently have two sit skiers competing at this level:
Leo Sammarelli
Leo was well on his way to making boxing his livelihood when a bullet pierced the eighth vertebra in his back and left him paralyzed in 2017. Now adaptive forms of many different sports including Para Nordic skiing and boxing are giving him opportunities to excel as an athlete.
As a Para Nordic athlete Leo has achieved much since he joined Nordic Racers and started to work with coach Jessica Heyes and at the end of the 2021-22 season was named to the Nordic Canada Next Gen Para Nordic Team. Leo continues to be a member of that team for the 2024-25 season.
Paulo Guerrero
Paulo joined the High Performance Team in 2023 as a sit skier and is actively dryland training in anticipation of his trip to Canmore for early season skiing at the National Development Camp November 13-17. He will be racing Coast Cup races this season as well as regular individual time trials at Whistler Olympic Park for additional race experience. His longer term goals are to represent BC at the Canada Winter Games February 2027 in Quebec City.
Photos courtesy Nordic Racers Para Nordics Program
