Emanuel Perathoner prepares to take spotlight on home snow at Milano Cortina 2026

Emanuel Perathoner hopes 2026 will be a life-changing year.

Not only is the Italian Para snowboarder aiming to compete at a home Paralympic Winter Games at Milano Cortina 2026, but it will also be his first experience of the level at all.

He is no stranger to elite competition, having previously competed at the Winter Olympics. Peranother is now preparing to make his Paralympic debut, four years after he had a serious accident when training ahead of the Beijing 2022 Olympics. 

He has established himself again since the accident, which resulted in him getting a knee replacement. He won two gold medals at the 2025 FIS Para Snowboard World Championships in March.

Summer of training

Relaxing during his off-season, the 38-year-old athlete is already focussed on preparing for the big stage next year, although he hopes his past experience helps keep him grounded.

“It is my first Paralympics, and I am excited about it,” Perathoner said.

“There were a lot of emotions in my first Olympics (Sochi 2014). I was nervous. I think this time, I hope to be relaxed. There is a lot of expectation because they are in Italy, close to home. I’m competing two hours away from my hometown; my friends will be there to cheer for me. I’m ready to go for it.

“Now the season is finished so we are relaxing, but in a month we will start again. It is important to get ready and be 100 per cent for the start of the new season.

Perathoner says he will start training on snow from September to March. But training and preparation during the summer months will also be key to his success during the season. 

“Even in summer it can be intense because you can train away from the snow. Taking your mind off it is important; when you come back from holidays you can focus more on pre-season.”

Home sweet home

Perathoner says a home Games will be special because he will be able to count on more support from the public, as well as his family and friends. 

The Paralympic Winter Games is returning to Italy for the first time in almost 20 years, since Torino 2006. There will be up to 665 athletes competing in six sports at the Games, which take place from 6-15 March.

“It is nice to compete in front of family, you enjoy it more,” he said. “All the country is looking forward to it and lots of people are going to enjoy the Games. It’ll be different because more people will cheer for you if you’re Italian.

“It’ll be nice, but it won’t change the races; when the time comes you need to be focused. You have to do what you need to be ready.”

Since his accident in 2021, Perathoner has worked extremely hard to get back into a competitive space. He says it was a tough time, but his drive and determination saw him through.

“I wasn’t able to compete at first; I had limited mobility, and some problems with my ankles. I had to adapt a lot; when I started (snowboarding) it was just for fun, to see how it would be to compete again. I didn’t train for the first year.

He was introduced to Para sport by a former teammate and his career took off from there.

“I like competing so I continue to compete. When I got injured it was a year before the Olympics in 2022; I worked to get there but then when it happened I thought ‘okay that’s it’,” he recalled. “I never stopped being positive. I always wanted to recover.

“Nothing was planned; I have never had problems in my head, mentally, so I didn’t have any doubts going back to compete.

He remembers how impressed he was when he saw the level of his rivals at his first competitions.

“I was surprised; all the guys are really good, and I love competing with them.”

Fighting back to compete

Winning has always driven him, but there have been tough times too.

Finding time to train while balancing full time work almost led him to quit the sport, but he held on to the love of competition he found as a child.

“I was always competitive, even as a kid playing football. I always wanted to win,” he says. “I tried skiing but I wasn’t the best, I wasn’t the fastest. Then I had eight years in snowboarding and then started competing. There were times when I wanted to quit as a teenager, but I continued and the results came. When I was 26, I got my first World Cup podium, and from then I wanted even more.

“I couldn’t totally focus on sports at the time. I was working full time in construction. I was lucky that my boss helped me and allowed me to train, but it was tough. 

“I always wanted to win, kids don’t know how to lose.”

‘You are not alone’

With under a year until the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, Perathoner is focused on winning a medal on home snow. But he also understands the importance of the Paralympic Movement and the lasting impact of the Games.

Para Snowboard made its Paralympic debut at Sochi 2014, making it the newest sport in the Winter Games programme.

“The Paralympics isn’t just about competing, it is about the sport, which brings people together. That is what I like most about it. If you have a disability, you see you are not alone. It helps a lot of people. It is more than just competing.

“Next season is all about the Games; the World Cup is going to be like training for me next year.”

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Secure your tickets for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games  

Milano Cortina 2026, which takes place from 6-15 March 2026, is set to be the most beautiful Paralympic Winter Games yet. Ticket prices start at EUR 10 for children under 14, with approximately 89 per cent of the tickets available for EUR 35 or less. Specially-priced Early Bird tickets are available until 6 May 2025.

For more information, please visit tickets.milanocortina2026.org