These California athletes are competing at the Milan Cortina Paralympics
WE ARE NOW THREE DAYS AWAY FROM THE START OF THE MILAN-CORTINA PARALYMPICS. MORE THAN 600 PARALYMPIANS ARE COMPETING ACROSS SIX WINTER SPORTS, AND WE HAVE FIVE WITH TIES TO CALIFORNIA. THEY’RE COMPETING ACROSS FOUR DISCIPLINES. SO LET’S INTRODUCE YOU TO THEM. MATTHEW BREWER GREW UP IN HUNTINGTON BEACH. HE WENT TO COLLEGE IN MISSION VIEJO. MATTHEW WAS NATIONALLY RANKED IN SKIING IN THE LATE 90S. A FEW YEARS LATER, HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH TESTICULAR CANCER AND DEVELOPED COMPARTMENT SYNDROME. HE HAD BOTH OF HIS LEGS AMPUTATED ABOVE THE KNEE. MATTHEW WAS INSPIRED BY PARALYMPIANS STEPHANIE VICTOR AND BEGAN HIS JOURNEY TO THE PARALYMPICS. THIS IS HIS SECOND TIME AT THE GAMES. LAURA DODERLEIN GREW UP IN ESCONDIDO. SHE WAS BORN IN RUSSIA WITH A CONGENITAL CONDITION CALLED ARTHROGRYPOSIS OF THE LOWER EXTREMITIES. SHE WAS ADOPTED AND CAME TO THE U.S. IN 2005. NOW FOR HER FIRST 14 YEARS, SHE RELIED ON LEG BRACES AND HAND CRUTCHES FOR MOBILITY, BUT SHE THEN DECIDED TO HAVE BOTH OF HER LEGS AMPUTATED FOR BETTER MOBILITY. PARALYMPIC DEVELOPMENT COACH BETH ANN CHAMBERLIN THOUGHT LIRA WOULD BE GOOD AT NORDIC SKIING AND GOT HER HOOKED. THIS IS LIRA’S SECOND PARALYMPIC GAMES. RALPH DE QUÉBEC WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL IN SAN PEDRO. RALPH IS A PURPLE HEART RECIPIENT. HE HAD BOTH OF HIS LEGS AMPUTATED AFTER BEING INJURED BY AN IED IN AFGHANISTAN. THIS WILL BE RALPH’S THIRD PARALYMPICS. HE IS A TWO TIME GOLD MEDALIST. JEN LEE GREW UP IN SAN FRANCISCO. HE ENLISTED IN THE U.S. ARMY RIGHT AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. WHILE LEE HAD HIS LEFT LEG AMPUTATED AFTER A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT. HE WAS INTRODUCED TO SLED HOCKEY BY OPERATION COMFORT. THAT’S AN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO HELPING INJURED U.S. PERSONNEL. AND THIS IS JEN’S FOURTH PARALYMPICS. HE IS A THREE TIME GOLD MEDALIST, AND EVAN STRONG LEARNED HOW TO SNOWBOARD AT NORTH STAR IN LAKE TAHOE DAYS BEFORE HIS 18TH BIRTHDAY. STRONG WAS HIT BY A DRUNK DRIVER AND A HEAD-ON CRASH. HIS LEFT LEG WAS PARTIALLY AMPUTATED. AFTER THE CRASH, STRONG WANTED TO LEARN EVERYTHING, INCLUDING SNOWBOARDING, SO HE MOVED TO LAKE TAHOE TO WORK AT NORTH STAR AND LEARN HOW TO SNOWBOARD. SEVEN YEARS LATER, STRONG BECAME THE FIRST MAN TO WIN A GOLD MEDAL IN SNOWBOARDING AT THE SOCHI GAMES. THIS WILL BE STRONG’S FOURTH PARALYMPICS. HE’S WON ONE GOLD MEDAL
These California athletes are competing at the Milan Cortina Paralympics
Updated: 9:23 PM PST Mar 3, 2026
The Milan Cortina Paralympics will feature more than 600 athletes competing across six winter sports, including five athletes with ties to California.
The Opening Ceremony is Friday.
Matthew Brewer – Para Alpine Skiing
Matthew Brewer competes in Para Alpine skiing.
Brewer, who grew up in Huntington Beach and attended college in Mission Viejo, was nationally ranked in skiing in the late 1990s.
A few years later, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and developed compartment syndrome, leading to the amputation of both legs above the knee.
Inspired by Paralympian Stephani Victor, Brewer began his journey to the Paralympics, marking his second appearance at the Games.
Lera Doederlein – Para Nordic Skiing
Lera Doederlein is a Para Nordic skier.
Doederlein grew up in Escondido, was born in Russia with a congenital condition called arthrogryposis of the lower extremities.
She was adopted and came to the U.S. in 2005.
For her first 14 years, she relied on leg braces and hand crutches for mobility before deciding to have both legs amputated for better mobility.
Paralympic development coach Beth Ann Chamberlain thought Doederlein would be good at Nordic skiing and got her hooked.
This is her second Paralympic Games.
Ralph DeQuebec – Sled Hockey
Ralph DeQuebec competes in sled hockey.
DeQuebec went to high school in San Pedro and is a Purple Heart recipient.
He had both of his legs amputated after being injured by an IED in Afghanistan.
This will be his third Paralympics, and he is a two-time gold medalist.
Jen Lee – Sled Hockey
Jen Lee competes in sled hockey.
Lee grew up in San Francisco and enlisted in the U.S. Army right after high school.
Lee had his left leg amputated after a motorcycle accident.
He was introduced to sled hockey by Operation Comfort, an organization dedicated to helping injured U.S. service personnel.
This is Lee’s fourth Paralympics, and he is a three-time gold medalist.
Evan Strong – Para Snowboarding
Evan Strong competes in para snowboarding.
Strong learned how to snowboard at Northstar in Lake Tahoe.
Days before his 18th birthday, Strong was hit by a drunk driver in a head-on crash, resulting in the partial amputation of his left leg.
After the crash, Strong wanted to learn everything, including snowboarding.
He moved to Lake Tahoe to work at Northstar and learn how to snowboard.
Seven years later, Strong became the first man to win a gold medal in snowboarding at the Sochi Games.
This will be Strong’s fourth Paralympics, and he’s won one gold medal and a silver medal.