Parker’s Confidence Soars After Securing Her Best Result … So Far 

Nordic skiers Dave Miln and Lauren Parker continue to make strides at the 2026 Milano Cortina Paralympic Winter Games, while quietly planning an assault on the next one in the French Alps in four years’ time.

Both Miln and Parker are making their Winter debut in northern Italy. But they have seen improvement in results despite their relatively short preparations and experience on snow, giving them plenty of belief of what could happen in 2030.

“I’d love to be at the next (Winter) Games,” Parker said after coming eighth in the cross-country skiing women’s interval start 10km. She is already a dual Summer Paralympian with two golds and two silvers from Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 in triathlon and road cycling.

“Obviously I’ll be focusing on Summer, but I’ll keep in touch with skiing and I know I’ll be so much better an athlete on snow in four years,” she said.

Miln was a downhill sit-skier before he moved across to biathlon and cross-country skiing, where he’s now found his niche.

“I’m definitely coming back in four years’ time and I’d like to think I could be top 10 for most of my races – that’s the aim,” he said.

“But it will need work between now and then, along with my Summer sport, so I’ll be trying to fit it all in,” the father-of-two said.

The pair further underlined their Winter potential today in the 10km cross-country event at the Tesero Sports Stadium, about two hours’ drive south-west of Cortina.

Parker’s eighth placing was her best result in four Nordic events, adding to her 9th in the individual 12.5km biathlon last Sunday. Two top 10 finishes in two different sports.

She showed her considerable ticker to bounce back from 13th in the cross-country sprint on Tuesday where she fell just one place short of making the semi-finals.

“I’m feeling really happy with that result today. I felt so strong out there,” Parker said.

“I crashed twice in warm-up on the descent at the back so I went into the race thinking I couldn’t do it. But I changed my mind set and I got around every bend, every corner without crashing. I love the distance so I’m very happy.

“I threw the negative thoughts away and just had to focus on the little things … you just have to believe in yourself.

“I’ll always be a Summer person at heart but I guess I’m enjoying both sides. I’m really enjoying this Winter journey.

“Every day I’m learning, I’m adapting, I’m getting better.”

No rest for this multiple world Para triathlon and reigning Paris Paralympic gold medallist.

After touching down in Sydney from Milano Cortina early next week, she will be home in Newcastle for just three days before jetting off to New Zealand for a triathlon race.

Miln and Matt Brumby both enjoyed solid 10km cross-country races in the sit skier category.

“It was a really good race for me – I’m more an endurance athlete,” said Miln who finished 20th in a field of 31 including some of Europe’s top Para athletes, his second top 20 finish in Italy after registering another 20th in the men’s individual 12.5km biathlon last Sunday.

“There’s still plenty of things I can improve on like going through corners and up hills. I’ll take all that forward to the next two races over the next few days” Miln said.

“It’s just finding those little one-percenters and working on them.

“It’s a tough field out there … a lot of good skiers with a lot of experience.

“I just need more time on the snow. Having the fitness from all the Summer (triathlon) training helps but nothing really will take the place of all the time you need on the snow.”

Miln, who suffered spinal fractures and had both legs amputated in a ski collision with a snow plough three years ago, only got back into skiing in December 2024.

He had not healed enough to make a bid for the 2024 Summer Paralympics but is looking at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics just over the horizon.

“Before I got on the snow I started to do some triathlon and some racing there. It’s definitely something I’m pushing to get back into and look to see where I can go,” he said.

“The goal would be LA in 2028 and then look to Brisbane in 2032 would be great with a little Winter in the middle (2030).”

Brumby came 31st in his 10km cross-country sit-skiing race but was a changed athlete after negotiating the 2.5 lap four times without incident. He duelled all the way with El Salvador’s Jonathan Arias and David Chavez, who are the same LW10 classification.

“That was amazing – definitely my best race since I’ve been here,” Brumby said. “Racing with the El Salvadorian it was like four laps of constant back and forth.

“It doesn’t matter what the result is when you know you’ve given it everything you had.

“Yesterday (sprint cross-country) was disappointing with the crash in a sprint race because it’s all over then. But today I just reset and built into every lap … and no falls.”

Brumby suffered a rare spinal cord condition, where a build-up of fluid caused the loss of mobility in his legs. He was a Navy clearance diver but left the military and made a name for himself in Para triathlon winning the Para Ironman race in Kona, Hawaii, in 2019. He also competed in and co-captained the Australian team at the 2018 Invictus Games in Sydney.

At his first Paralympics, Brumby was rejoicing in the sense of brotherhood he is feeling at the Games.

“The other cool thing here apart from the crowd (spectators), when you come over the last little hill into the finish, is the coaches from the other nations. I could hear the Canadians, the Brazilian coaches at various points on the course shouting my name.

“This is the best community in all the sport I’ve done in 25 years I’ve been in the chair. Every nation will help you out some way or another.”

By: Margie McDonald, Paralympics Australia