\u00a0In two months, Canadian Para alpine skier Kalle Eriksson hopes to be hurtling down the slopes at Cortina at close to 100 km\/h, chasing a pink blur while going for gold.<\/p>\n
Eriksson and his guide Sierra Smith aim to make their mark during their Paralympic debut, hoping their maiden slalom World Cup victory in Cortina in February 2024 will be a good omen.<\/p>\n
The duo has been in electric form over the past two seasons, with a consistent podium presence on the World Cup circuit \u2013 including gold in the giant slalom in March 2025 in Veysonnaz, Switzerland, and gold in January 2025 in the giant slalom in St Moritz, Switzerland.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think last year was a huge shift in Sierra and my skiing,\u201d Eriksson told the IPC. \u201cWe were really on point and skiing confidently.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had some big wins. I learned a lot. I was put into a couple of different situations I wasn\u2019t familiar with, like starting last, going into the second run after having the fastest time.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Eriksson, right, made his World Cup debut in January 2024 and won seven medals in his debut year. @Marko Pigac<\/p>\n
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Teamwork on the slopes<\/p>\n
There are high expectations on the pair because Canada has claimed a medal in the Para alpine skiing\u2019s vision impaired category at five of the last six Paralympic Winter Games. Para alpine skiing<\/a> is one of the six sports on the programme at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics<\/a>, which take place from 6-15 March.<\/p>\n Eriksson, 21, started to lose his sight in 2021, which is why Smith, 25, wears a pink racing suit.<\/p>\n \u201cWe discovered pretty early on that bright pink was something Kalle could see the best. I used to wear orange. And then we made the change,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n \u201cI am Kalle\u2019s eyes on the course. He can see a bit; he has 6 per cent peripheral vision… I\u2019m communicating with him the entire time we are going down. Not so much left and right turns but any terrain changes or anything interesting coming up in the course.\u201d<\/p>\n Eriksson, left, started ski racing in 2022, a year after he experienced vision loss. @Marko Pigac<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Being unstoppable<\/p>\n Eriksson, who grew up flitting between Sweden and Canada but returned to North America in 2021, is the son of long-time Canadian national Para alpine team coach Lasse Eriksson.<\/p>\n It was helping out at a training camp, slinging gates in Sweden, where Eriksson started to experience vision loss. Four years ago, he teamed up with Smith from Ottawa, who had been forced to abandon a solo racing career and Olympic dream following knee injuries.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom day one skiing together, it has worked really well. We\u2019ve had immediate trust in one another. It\u2019s the name of the game in what we are doing.\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really exciting going from my own solo career to now having a teammate. It\u2019s been a huge transition, but really, really fun.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt has made me find a new love of the sport. I\u2019m very thankful that I get to ski every day with Kalle and enjoy this crazy, wild ride that we are on.\u201d<\/p>\n During competition, Smith, left, communicates and send cues using a headset. @Marko Pigac<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Training for the Games<\/p>\n Eriksson, who lives in Kimberley, British Columbia, said he has been working hard on strategies to deal with nerves and has race-day rituals that help him stay calm.<\/p>\n \u201cI always put my right stuff on first. Right ski, right ski boot, right glove. That\u2019s something I\u2019ve carried over from hockey,\u201d said Eriksson, who played ice hockey growing up.<\/p>\n \u201cOn race day, I\u2019m typically up pretty early, a lot earlier than other teammates. I like to get up and get into a little bit of a mindset and prepare myself as best I can.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cRace day nerves are going to be there no matter what. Just accepting that they will be there is a big thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Living 3,500 kilometres apart on opposite sides of the country means that Eriksson and Smith have to spend a lot of time training solo \u2013 building strength and maintaining peak physical fitness at the gym.<\/p>\n But when they do come together for training camps on snow in Canada and overseas, they also prioritise time away from the slopes to do fun activities such as mountain biking, rock climbing and line dancing to build their teamwork and rapport.\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite their growing collection of competition bling, the lead-up to the Paralympics has not been all smooth sailing.<\/p>\n Eriksson sustained a shoulder injury in Chile during a training camp in October. Thankfully, after weeks of physio sessions, he got the all clear to ski again in late November.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re playing everything as cautiously as possible, which is a little bit different from the life I typically like to live,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Despite having to scale back their training efforts during Eriksson\u2019s rehabilitation process, the pair were back on the podium in December with double silver medals in St Moritz, Switzerland.<\/p>\n They also came away from Santa Caterina, Italy, with a bronze and a silver medal.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Secure your tickets for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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