Back on the Slopes - Support my Comeback to Paralympic Ski Racing

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I’m a three-time cancer survivor chasing Paralympic glory again! Help fuel my ski racing comeback for the 2026 Winter Games in Cortina.

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Hi, I&#39;m Michael. I’ve represented Australia at six Paralympic Games — five as a skier and one as a cyclist — and won 11 Paralympic medals, six of them gold. At the 2002 Salt Lake Games, I won all four gold medals in four events. I raced again at the 2006 Torino Games, won silver, and retired after 18 unforgettable years on the world stage. After hanging up the race suit, I married my incredible wife, and together we welcomed our daughter, Matilda. Life was good — until, when Matilda was just one, I was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. I’d already lost my leg to bone cancer at nine, but this time it hit harder. I wasn’t just fighting for me — I was fighting to be her dad. When treatment ended, I did what I’ve always done: set big goals. I ran a marathon on crutches, completed a 50km ultra marathon, made the Australian para-triathlon and cycling teams, competed at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, climbed Mt Kilimanjaro and walked the Kokoda Track. Oh, and Penni and I had another baby. Angus arrived healthy and happy. Being dad to two kids is still my biggest achievement! Then, two years ago, cancer came for me again — bowel cancer this time. More surgeries, more down-time, more recovery. The kids were teenagers by then and they were across what was going on and the fact that they may lose their dad. Just over a year after diagnosis, I set out to ski-tour the Haute Route, from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn. On day one, I fell and broke my femur in my stump. Back to square one. That was April 2025. Recovery was tough, but when I got back on skis at Thredbo this last winter, something clicked. I remembered how much I love ski racing. I raced at the National Chamionships partly for fun but also to test myself. I won both events and felt pretty solid. That’s when I decided: I’m making a comeback. I&#39;m 52, I&#39;m an amputee and I’m a three-time cancer survivor chasing one last Paralympic dream. I’ve already qualified in Giant Slalom and Slalom but I still want to qualify for the three speed events. That means more training and racing in the US and Europe in January / February before heading to the Games in early March, assuming I make the Australian team. I’ve learned that life is short — and it’s not about how many years you get, but what you do with them. Racing in the alpine events at my sixth winter Games (my seventh overall) is a big challenge. If you can help me get there, I’ll do the rest. Milto