PARK CITY, UT (Feb. 24, 2026) - U.S. Ski & Snowboard has nominated 32 athletes to represent Team USA at the 2026 Milano Cortina Paralympic Winter Games, Mar. 6-15, 2026. The athletes were selected to Team USA based on pre-determined Paralympic Winter Games criteria set by U.S. Ski & Snowboard and will be officially announced to Team USA on Mar. 2, 2026. 

The Milano Cortina Games will take place across Italy. For ski and snowboard events, Cortina will host Para alpine and Para snowboard, with 79 medal events on the schedule. 

Team USA will send 32 athletes to the Paralympic Winter Games, including 11 athletes from the Stifel U.S. Ski Team and six athletes from the Toyota U.S. Para Snowboard Team. Of the 32 athletes represented, 14 are first-time Paralympians. 

The U.S. enters the Paralympics with the best Para snowboard team in the world, taking home both the men’s and women’s Nations Cups this season. Brenna Huckaby, the most decorated Para snowboarder in the world and reigning Paralympic banked slalom gold medalist, is headed to her third Paralympic Games alongside veterans and multi-time medalists Noah Elliott, Mike Schultz and Keith Gabel. 

On the alpine side, Laurie Stephens and Andrew Kurka are returning for their sixth and fourth Paralympic Games, respectively, each as Paralympic champions and multi-time medalists. Newcomers to the team include Kate Delson, who finished second at Para snowboard World Championships last season in her debut. Kelsey O’Driscoll and Audrey Crowley will both take on their first Paralympic Games on the alpine side, both landing on the World Cup podium multiple times this season. 

“We are delighted to be sending an incredible team to the Paralympic Games,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, U.S. Ski & Snowboard President & CEO. “Between experienced veterans and exciting newcomers, I cannot wait to see what we can accomplish in Cortina.”

“This is the first Paralympic Games since Para alpine and Para snowboard have been reintegrated within U.S. Ski & Snowboard, and we couldn’t be more excited to support our team through these competitions,” said Anouk Patty, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief of Sport. “The athletes have been working incredibly hard throughout the season, and I know they are ready to shine in Italy.” 

The full Paralympic schedule can be found HERE. How to watch the Games via NBC-owned channels in the United States can be found HERE.  

PARALYMPIC ROSTERS

2026 U.S. Paralympic Alpine Team

(Hometown; Club; College; Birthdate; Past Paralympic Teams)

Women
Visually Impaired

• Meg Gustafson (Edwards, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 4/22/2009)*
  • Guide: Spenser Gustafson (Edwards, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 5/8/2007)*

Standing

• Audrey Crowley (Eagle, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; University of Denver; 3/1/2007)*
• Allie Johnson (Chicago, IL; National Sports Center for the Disabled; Colorado State University; 12/23/1994; 2022)
• Kelsey O’Driscoll (Glens Falls, NY; National Sports Center for the Disabled; SUNY Adirondack; 1/24/1994)*

Sitting

• Hailey Griffin (Paonia, CO; National Ability Center; Virginia Commonweath University; Colorado State University; 4/11/1991)*
• Saylor O’Brien (Woodland, UT; National Ability Center; 4/28/2003)*
• Anna Soens (Bend, OR; Oregon Adaptive Sports, National Sports Center for the Disabled; University of Otago; 7/28/1988)*
• Laurie Stephens (Wenham, MA; University of New Hampshire; 3/5/1984; 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022)

Men
Standing

• Noah Bury (Salt Lake City, UT; National Sports Center for the Disabled; Weber State University; 1/18/2003)*
• Patrick Halgren (Tolland, CT; National Sports Center for the Disabled; 6/24/1992; 2022)
• Andrew Haraghey (Enfield, CT; National Ability Center; Westminster University; 12/16/1995; 2018, 2022)
• Jesse Keefe (Sun Valley, ID; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; University of Colorado Colorado Springs; 3/26/2004; 2022)
• Tyler McKenzie (Leominster, MA; National Ability Center; Bates College; 8/20/1991)*
• Michael O’Hearn (Spring Lake, NJ; National Ability Center; Westminster University; 6/20/2001)*
• Spencer Wood (Pittsfield, VT; Killington Mountain School; University of Colorado Boulder; 1/17/1997; 2018, 2022)

Sitting

• Jasmin Bambur (Granby, CO; National Sports Center for the Disabled; 8/28/1979; 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022)
• Matthew Brewer (Huntington Beach, CA; National Ability Center; Saddleback Community College; 5/8/1975; 2022)
• Ravi Drugan (Eugene, OR; Oregon Adaptive Sports; 12/19/1989; 2022)
• Blake Eaton (Proctor, MN, National Ability Center; University of Minnesota Duluth; 7/14/2004)*
• Robert Enigl (Kaukauna, WI; National Sports Center for the Disabled/National Ability Center; Fox Valley Tech; 12/16/1983; 2022)
• Andrew Kurka (Palmer, AK; Alyeska Ski Club; 1/27/1992; 2014, 2018, 2022)
• Kyle Taulman (Winter Park, CO; National Sports Center for the Disabled; 12/20/2001; 2022)
• David Williams (Fort Lauderdale, FL; National Sports Center for the Disabled; 7/27/1979; 2022)

2026 U.S. Paralympic Snowboard Team 

(Hometown; Club; College; Birthdate; Past Paralympic Teams)

Women
LL1

• Brenna Huckaby (Baton Rouge, LA; Team Utah Snowboarding; 1/22/1996; 2018, 2022)

LL2

• Kate Delson (San Diego, CA; Team Utah Snowboarding; 5/5/2005)*
• Jackie Hamwey (Boston, MA; Team Utah Snowboarding; Northeastern University; 3/28/1989)*

Men
LL1

• Noah Elliott (St. Charles, MO; DeVry University; 7/12/1997; 2018, 2022)
• Mike Schultz (Kimball, MN; 8/27/1981; 2018, 2022)

LL2

• Keith Gabel (Ogden, UT; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; 7/20/1984; 2014, 2018, 2022)
• Zach Miller (Silverthorne, CO; Adaptive Action Sports; DeVry University; 3/10/1999; 2022)
• Joe Pleban (Fredericksburg, VA; Adaptive Action Sports; Christopher Newport University; 8/7/1990)*

*Denotes first-time Paralympian 

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About U.S. Ski & Snowboard
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic and Paralympic National Governing Body of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, based in Park City, Utah. Started in 1905, the organization now represents nearly 240 elite skiers and snowboarders competing on 10 teams, including the Stifel U.S. Ski Team: alpine, cross country, freestyle moguls, freestyle aerials, freeski, nordic combined, Para alpine and ski jumping, the Toyota U.S. Para Snowboard Team and Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team. In addition to the elite teams, U.S. Ski & Snowboard also provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders across the USA, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. For more information, visit usskiandsnowboard.org.

Kelsey O'Driscoll may be in her rookie season, but she doesn't have a rookie mentality. Within just a few years of starting to ski again after injury, O'Driscoll was introduced to racing, and is now named to the Stifel U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team for the first time. Last season, she was named to her first World Championships team, where she earned an impressive sixth-place finish. Just last week, Kelsey made her World Cup debut, finishing fourth, and by the end of the weekend, she had earned her first World Cup win. O'Driscoll's trajectory is astounding, and she isn't stopping anytime soon.

Between her work as a nurse and ski patroller, O'Driscoll is highly motivated to do everything the best she can on and off the slopes. 

O'Driscoll is the latest athlete featured in U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s “On the Rise” series, presented by Zions Bank. Through community service, sponsorships and charitable donations, Zions Bank is committed to fueling economic growth and enhancing quality of life in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming.

We caught up with O'Driscoll dive into her background, reflect on a season of milestones, and look ahead to her goals for 2025-26.

Q: What initially drew you to the sport of skiing?

A: I’ve been on skis since I was two and was in love from the start!

Q: When you were younger and getting into the sport, what were your goals? 

A: I wanted to ski race as a kid, but my parents said no, so I switched directions and dreamed of becoming a ski patroller. I became a ski patroller at 21, a nurse at 25, and then broke my back at 27. After I broke my back, I was determined to get back to being a ski patroller and nurse. Once I had done that, I started thinking about para ski racing and decided to give it a go!

Q: What is your biggest accomplishment?

A: Getting back to work as both a ski patroller and as a pediatric nurse after sustaining my spinal cord injury.

Q: What is your ultimate goal? 

A: To create visibility for disabled people working in both the ski and healthcare industries.

Q: Who are your heroes? Both in & out of the sport?

A: Mike Olsen is the person who showed me life keeps going after a spinal cord injury (SCI). He showed me what was possible with an SCI. Without him, I wouldn’t be doing any of this. He’s my hero!!

Q: You win $5,000 in prize money: What do you do with it?

A: Put half aside to go towards buying a house, and give the other half to the adaptive programs who have helped me get where I am now.

Q: Do you budget or follow any structure related to spending?

A: I keep track of my skiing expenses on a spreadsheet, and everything else in an app. I have a monthly budget for groceries, outings, bills, etc. I only put things that give me cash back on my credit card and I pay it off in full every month. 

Q: What’s one money habit you follow?

A:  I put 15% of my paycheck pretax into my employer-sponsored savings account, and 1/4 to 1/3 of my paycheck after taxes into my regular savings account. 

Follow Kelsey on her social media channels. 

The Stifel U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team spent the last two days racing the downhill World Cup opener in Santa Caterina, Italy, where Kelsey O’Driscoll and Andrew Kurka both continued their hot streaks, both landing on the podium in third place. 

On day one, O’Driscoll led the way for the U.S. ,finishing third, her second career podium. Audrey Crowley was right behind in fourth place in the women’s standing category. On the men’s side, Kurka finished fifth followed by Andrew Haraghey in seventh, Jesse Keefe in 13th, Patrick Halgren in 14th, Spencer Wood in 15th, Tyler McKenzie in 17th and Noah Bury in 22nd. 

The following day, Kurka found himself back on the podium for the first time this season. O’Driscoll finished just off the women’s standing podium in fourth followed by Crowley in fifth. Wood finished the event 11th, Keefe 14th and McKenzie 18th. 

Next up the crew is on their way to St. Moritz, Switzerland for the first tech events of the season Dec. 19-21.

RESULTS
Downhill 1
Women
Men

Downhill 2
Women
Men

On day three of racing in Steinach am Brenner, Austria, Kelsey O’Driscoll put on a show, taking the top spot to earn her first career World Cup podium and first career win. Following her World Cup debut on Wednesday, where she finished fourth overall, O’Driscoll finished out the weekend with a bang. Andrew Kurka and Audrey Crowley also finished in the top 10, finishing fifth and seventh, respectively. 

“I’m of course beyond excited, but also feeling really grateful,” said O’Driscoll. “So many people have helped make this possible, from teammates and coaches, to my family and friends, and especially my medical team. I couldn’t do this without any of them.”

“My main goal for the rest of the season is to gain as much experience as possible on the World Cup circuit before the Games in March. I want to make mistakes and learn from them, and most importantly, to have as much fun as possible. I absolutely love to ski, and plan on enjoying every second of it!”

O’Driscoll is a rookie on the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, earning her nomination after a successful World Championships debut last season. After being named to the team this summer, O’Driscoll underwent surgery to get herself in the best shape possible in time for the season. 

“I had an Olympic dream in high school and college, which I wasn’t able to make a reality,” said O’Driscoll. “That was a really hard dream to let go of. Para ski racing has given me a second shot at making that dream come true, except at the Paralympics. Having given up an Olympic dream once, I wasn’t about to let a couple of surgeries get in the way of my second chance. I fought for an aggressive timeline that got me back on snow in November, and just put in as much work as possible over the summer/fall between surgeries. I’ve wanted to go to the Games since 2002, and I’m determined to make that dream a reality this year.” 

The entire Stifel U.S. Ski Team had great results on Friday. Outside of the three in the top 10, Patrick Halgren finished 11th, Jesse Keefe and Robert Enigl 15th, Matthew Brewer 16th, Ravi Drugan and Spencer Wood 17th, Andrew Haraghey 20th, Tyler McKenzie 21st and Noah Bury 25th. This rounds out a successful first World Cup of the season, with seven top 10 finishes across three days of racing. 

The Stifel U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team athletes are headed straight into their next World Cup event next week in Santa Caterina, Italy, for the first downhill races of the season, Dec. 16-17.

RESULTS
Women
Men

The Stifel U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team is in Steinach am Brenner, Austria for the World Cup season opener, and rookie Kelsey O’Driscoll shone in her World Cup debut, finishing just off the podium in fourth place in alpine combined. 

Steinach is a familiar stop for these athletes as they have kicked off the World Cup season in Austria for the last three years. Alpine combined in composed of one run of super-G and one run of slalom with athletes’ times combined to get their final placement.

After run one of super-G, Andrew Kurka was sitting in first place in the men’s sitting classification and O’Driscoll was in third. Audrey Crowley, Andrew Haraghey and Robert Enigl did not finish run one. 

This season, Kurka, a known speed specialist, is also skiing slalom for the first time in years, with this event being his first World Cup attempt since 2019.  This event was an excellent start for the speedster, where he finished sixth overall after placing 10th in the slalom run. O’Driscoll finished sixth in run two, giving her a fourth place finish. Nine U.S. athletes made it through to the second run, including Jesse Keefe, who finished eighth overall, a great start to his season in the standing classification, followed by Patrick Halgren in 11th, and Spencer Wood in 17th. Ravi Drugan finished in 12th in the men’s sitting category.

Tomorrow, Thursday, Dec. 11th, the team will take on super-G, which is sure to excite following the run one placements in alpine combined. Tune in at 4:30 am ET on FIS. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

U.S. Ski & Snowboard officially announced the 12 athletes who have accepted their nominations and been named to the 2025-26 Stifel U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team roster across all classifications and disciplines. 

The 2025-26 Stifel U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team is highlighted by Paralympic gold medalist Andrew Kurka. He is joined by two-time Paralympian and Paralympic silver medalist Thomas Walsh and exciting up-and-comers Jesse Keefe and Audrey Crowley. Crowley had a standout 2024-25 season, including her first World Cup podiums and a bronze medal in giant slalom at the 2025 FIS Para Alpine World Championships. 

New to the team this year is Kelsey O’Driscoll, who came onto the scene last season and made it her own, finishing top-five at World Championships. Joining her are Tyler McKenzie and Saylor O’Brien, who made a big impact on the World Cup circuit during the 2024-25 season with multiple World Cup podiums.

“After showing strong improvements last season, the team has been putting in lots of work to start the off-season to prepare for a Paralympic year,” said Erik Leirfallom, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Para Sport Director. “With new fresh faces and accomplished veterans, I am excited to see all they can accomplish.”

The 2025-26 season is set to kick off in Steinach am Brenner, Austria, Dec. 10-12, 2025. The team will make stops in Italy, Switzerland, Germany and France through February before the top athletes head to represent Team USA at the 2026 Milano Cortina Paralympic Winter Games, Mar. 6-15, 2026. 

2025-26 Stifel U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team

(Hometown; Club; College; Birthdate)

A TEAM
Women

• Audrey Crowley (Grafton, WI; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; University of Denver; 3/1/2007)

Men

• Patrick Halgren (Tolland, CT; National Sports Center for the Disabled; 6/24/1992)
• Jesse Keefe (Sun Valley, ID; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; University of Colorado Colorado Springs; 3/26/2004)
• Andrew Kurka (Palmer, AK; Alyeska Ski Club; 1/27/1992)
• Thomas Walsh (Vail, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail/Green Mountain Valley School; Savannah College of Art and Design/DeVry University; 1/30/1995)
• Spencer Wood (Pittsfield, VT; Killington Mountain School; University of Colorado Boulder; 1/17/1997)

D TEAM
Women

• Allie Johnson (Chicago, IL; National Sports Center for the Disabled; Colorado State University; 12/23/1994)
• Saylor O’Brien (Woodland, UT; National Ability Center; 4/28/2003)
• Kelsey O’Driscoll (Glens Falls, NY; National Sports Center for the Disabled; SUNY Adirondack; 1/24/1994)

Men

• Ravi Drugan (Eugene, OR; Oregon Adaptive Sports; 12/19/1989)
• Andrew Haraghey (Enfield, CT; National Ability Center; Westminster University; 12/16/1995)
• Tyler McKenzie (Leominster, MA; National Ability Center; Bates College; 8/20/1991)

2025-26 PARA ALPINE COACHES AND STAFF

Chief of Sport: Anouk Patty
Para Sport Director: Erik Leirfallom 
Head Coach: Ryan Pearl
Assistant Coach: Lyndsay Strange
Assistant Coach: Sawyer Mattsson
Athletic Development Coach: Brian Neff 
Lead Para Alpine Service Technician: Chris Newey 
Para Press Officer: Ryan Odeja

FOLLOW THE STIFEL U.S. PARA ALPINE SKI TEAM

Instagram: @usparaskisnowboard 
Facebook: @usskiandsnowboard
TikTok: @usskiandsnowboard
Twitter/X: @usskiteam
YouTube: @usskisnowboardteam 
Threads: @usskiteam 

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FOR MORE INFORMATION 
Ryan Odeja - Stifel U.S. Para Alpine Team Press Officer
[email protected]