One of our favorite parts of every Paralympic cycle is getting to know the fresh faces who are competing on the world’s biggest stage for the first time. The 2014 Winter Paralympics introduced us to Amy Purdy and Oksana Masters. In 2018 we got our first glimpses of Brenna Huckaby, Andrew Kurka, and Mike Schultz.
All of those athletes earned medals in their debut Paralympics. With the 2025-26 snowsports season underway, and the Milano Cortina Winter Games set to begin in less than two months, Team USA’s most competitive 2026 rookies are starting to come into view. Here are some of the best bets to reach the medal stand as first-timers in this year’s Paralympics.
Kate Delson, Snowboarding
The 20-year-old Californian made an immediate impression in the 2024-25 season, her first year of international competition. In addition to notching six medals on the World Cup racing circuit, Delson snagged a silver medal at the World Championships. She started off the 2025-26 with a bang, taking gold in the season’s first race at Landgraaf (Netherlands). In the three races since, Delson has only once failed to make the podium. For the second straight Paralympics, the women’s snowboard competition will be compressed into a single classification, so Delson will have to go head-to-head against her mentor and teammate Brenna Huckaby.
Audrey Crowley, Alpine Skiing
One of Team USA’s youngest skiers, Crowley will turn 19 just before the Paralympics. She established herself as a medal contender at last spring’s World Championships, where she took bronze in slalom and finished a strong fifth in giant slalom. She’s been flirting with the podium regularly so far this season, with fourth-place World Cup finishes in downhill at Santa Caterina (Italy) and Saalbach (Austria), and back-to-back fourth-place placements in Super G (both at Saalbach).
Kelsey O’Driscoll, Alpine Skiing
O’Driscoll made her paraskiing debut last season and won eight races as a rookie on the FIS circuit, excelling in giant slalom and Super-G. She moved up to the more competitive World Cup loop in 2025-26 and kicked off the slate with a gold medal in Super-G at Steinach am Brenner (Austria), followed by a bronze in the downhill at Santa Caterina (Italy) and a strong fourth-place finish in the downhill at Saalbach (Austria). Definitely a racer to watch.
Liam Cunningham, Sled Hockey
Cunningham won’t turn 18 until the eve of the 2026 Winter Paralympics, yet he’s already a seasoned veteran of international competition. As a member of the US developmental team, the precocious defenseman starred on two International Para Hockey Cup title winners. Last year he moved up to the US National Team and collected a gold medal at the World Para Ice Hockey Championships. Cunningham has been playing sled hockey since age seven.
Saylor O’Brien, Alpine Skiing
She took a big step forward during the 2024-25 season, winning her first World Cup race (a downhill at Santa Caterina) and notching two additional podium finishes (one each in downhill and giant slalom). US Ski & Snowboard recognized her performance by honoring O’Brien as Adaptive Athlete of the Year. So far this season, she has registered fifth-place finishes in her only World Cup event (at St. Moritz), but O’Brien has been dominant in her appearances on the developmental FIS circuit. Though still a longshot to earn a Paralympic roster spot, O’Brien could surprise if she makes it to Milano Cortina.
