BC Games and Team BC alumni suiting up for Canada at Paralympic Games
Three alumni of the BC Games or Team BC are suiting up for Canada at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games from March 6 – 15, 2026.
Natalie Wilkie (Para nordic), Mollie Jepsen (Para nordic), and Leo Sammarelli (Para alpine) will represent Canada on the highest stage in Italy this week. Wilkie and Jepsen both attended the BC Games while Sammarelli represented Team BC at the 2019 Canada Winter Games and 2022 Canada Summer Games.
Natalie Wilkie – Penticton 2016 BC Winter Games (Cross Country Skiing)
Wilkie has won seven medals over two Paralympic Winter Games to make her one of the world’s most successful athletes in Para nordic skiing and earn her the honour of being a flag bearer for Canada at the opening ceremony. In the 2025-26 season, Wilkie collected six victories on the Para biathlon World Cup circuit and earned the Crystal Globe as the overall champion in the women’ standing category for the first time in her career.
Mollie Jepsen – Greater Vernon 2012 BC Winter Games (Alpine Skiing)
Jepsen is a six-time medallist at the Paralympic Winter Games and is once again a top multi-medal contender for Canada at Milano Cortina 2026. She previously competed at Beijing 2022 and PyeongChang 2018, dealing with a Crohn’s disease diagnosis between the two events and coming back to win gold in the downhill, silver in the giant slalom, and carry the flag for Canada at the Closing Ceremony.
Leo Sammarelli – Red Deer 2019 Canada Winter Games (Para nordic) // Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games (Athletics)
This will mark the first Paralympic Winter Games for Sammarelli, who was introduced to Para nordic skiing in 2018 through the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Paralympian Search. He picked up the sport quickly, training with Nordic Racers in North Vancouver to progress from being unable to complete a sprint to competing on the world stage.
