Fred Warburton remembers the exact date of his first official ski race: 22 February 2025. Just over a year later, the 31-year-old made his Paralympic debut at the Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics.
What began as a bid to impress his Italian father-in-law has turned into a remarkable story of determination. Warburton, diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa seven years ago, finished seventh in the downhill with his guide James Hannan on the Olympia delle Tofane piste.
From Inspiration to Paralympian
“I never imagined this was possible five or six years ago. I didn’t know where my life was going,” said Warburton. “I started skiing more seriously just to impress my father-in-law. He ski raced back in the day. He’s watching at home and is super proud.”
Warburton and Hannan met just 18 months ago but seized the chance to compete at their first Paralympics. They finished 14.24 seconds behind Austrian Johannes Aigner, who claimed his second consecutive Paralympic downhill gold.
Looking Ahead
“The big goal is 2030,” Warburton said. “This experience is about grit, determination, and showing that if you face adversity, you can achieve anything.”
Other British Highlights
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Fellow skier Neil Simpson and guide Andrew Simpson finished fourth in the downhill, 2.67 seconds from the podium. Simpson is the defending Super G champion.
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Para-biathlete Scott Meenagh, one of Great Britain’s flagbearers, finished 23rd in the men’s seated sprint but plans to focus on longer races where he excels.
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Great Britain’s wheelchair curling mixed team lost 9-2 to Slovakia in their opening match, with matches continuing against the United States later in the day.
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In mixed doubles wheelchair curling, Jo Butterfield and Jason Kean face world champions Japan, with the team currently tied for second place in the eight-nation competition.
