The Vancouver Paralympic Ski Team will be the largest Australian team ever assembled and consists of 11 Athletes in total, as well as three sighted guides. This is made up of nine Alpine and two Nordic skiers.

On the Nordic side we have 2006 Torino Paralympian, standing para-nordic skier James Millar from Melbourne and sit para-nordic skier Dominic Moneypenny of Tasmania, who represented Australia at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games in rowing.

The Alpine team contains a mixture of experience and youthful exuberance, led by veterans Shannon Dallas and Cameron Rahles-Rahbula, who is preparing for his third Paralympic Games. Both secured World Championship Titles in 2009. Both suffered interrupted preparations and underwent surgery in the off-season but have had solid 2010 World Cup seasons, with several podium finishes.

Sit skier Dallas suffered a horrendous crash in the Downhill at the 2009 World Championships in Korea, just days after the ecstasy of claiming the Super G crown in the sitting class, however following a full shoulder reconstruction and extensive rehab he is now back on snow.

Meanwhile Rahles-Rahbula underwent ankle surgery immediately following the end of the World Cup season after winning the Slalom World Championship in the standing class, a World Cup victory and two podium placings at Whistler with a fracture in his only ankle. He then suffered a further setback with a misdiagnosed and mistreated back condition during the Australian Winter, restricting him to bed rest for two months. However he bounced back to win the National Championship in Giant Slalom and has a slew of 2010 World Cup medals to his name already.

Cameron Rahles-Rahbula, Mitch Gourley and Toby Kane sweep the podium at a December 2009 NorAm. Image - Courtesy Mitch Gourley

Unexpected Super G Bronze medalist from Torino, Toby Kane, is remarkably experienced for a 23 year old having already spent six years on the World Cup circuit and competed at his first Paralympic Games. The right leg amputee has consistently finished top five in this season's World Cups. He tasted success on the Whistler Paralympic course at World Cup level in March 2009, placing third in the Super G and narrowly missing the medals in both the Super Combined and Giant Slalom after second run mishaps. An unbelievably disciplined athlete, Toby is skiing absurdly fast.

Fellow 23 year old, double leg amputee Marty Mayberry, originally from Byron Bay, is juggling more than just a Paralympic tilt this winter. Just weeks before departing Australia he was accepted into the Sydney University Medical School, forcing him to quickly relocate to Sydney with his Fiancée. All the while, he was completing the final exams for his Medical Science degree at Griffith University. The winner of the Overall Slalom World Cup in 2007 had a lean year in 2009, struggling with his at times temperamental and ever changing prosthetic legs. Fortunately thanks to some adjustments over the Australian Winter these have mostly become issues of the past and he is skiing better than ever. Although a year without some prosthetic dramas for Marty just wouldn't be complete.

Nicholas Watts had a non existent season beginning due to an unfortunate September training accident in New Zealand. He suffered a double break in his only leg, underwent complicated surgery and spent over a week in hospital. However, he joined the team in early February before the World Cup Finals in Aspen and is ready for the Games.

The Vancouver Paralympic team will not be without a comeback story with the inclusion of 2002 Paralympians, completely blind Bart Bunting and his guide Nathan Chivers returning last year after a four year hiatus in an effort to add to their three medals from Salt Lake City.

And then there's me. Mitchell Gourley, 18 years old and without a World Cup medal to my name, Needless to say, I have some big shoes to fill. I've been competing for Australia since 2006 and am more than a little excited about my first Games. There have been a few top 10 World Cup finishes for me this season so I'm hoping for some good results in downhill, GS and the super combined.

Vancouver also marks the first time Australia will enter two female athletes at a Winter Paralympic Games. Visually impaired athletes Melissa Perrine and Jessica Gallagher, along with their guides Andrew Bor and Eric Bickerton will join the boys in Whistler.

All in all, the Vancouver 2010 Australian Paralympic Ski Team has both the potential and the desire to be the most successful in history and indeed one of the most successful Alpine teams at the Games.

See the full Australian Paralympics Team list

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