Thanks to incredible generosity of Paralympic Foundation of Canada donors, Christina Picton reaches next level in Para sport 

Christina Picton has all the elements to be an outstanding Para athlete: strength, determination and focus. But competing at the elite level comes with heavy expenses – equipment, travel, training, and even relocation.  

Picton explains how the support of donors to the Paralympic Foundation of Canada have not only shaped her own journey but also paves the way for countless other athletes chasing their Paralympic dreams. 

Christina tells her story: 

My personal journey within the Paralympic Movement began long before I recognized myself as an athlete or advocate. Born with a congenital deficiency that impacted the growth of both my hips and legs, I navigated life as a child with a disability, confronting obstacles and societal biases daily. Rather than letting those challenges define me, they fueled my determination to prove my potential and push past the limits that others assumed for me. 

At age 11, I was introduced to my first Para sport – wheelchair softball. This was the first time I was surrounded by other kids who also had a disability and found a community where I was accepted, something I’d never truly experienced before. This new connection to Para sport led me to find Para ice hockey and from the moment I first hit the ice, I was hooked. The speed, the contact, and the sport requiring only upper body strength gave me a freedom I’d never felt before.  

Unburdened by my prosthetic leg and being able to showcase my athletic ability on an even playing field with my peers was life changing. 

Throughout a 20-year Para ice hockey career, I’ve been able to participate at almost every level as an athlete, mentor, coach, and board member. In 2019, I was notably the first woman to participate in Hockey Canada’s senior national team selection camp. I am also a founding member of Women’s Para Hockey of Canada and was fortunate to captain the team that attended the recent inaugural Women’s World Para Ice Hockey Championships in 2025. 

In 2019, I was ready for a new challenge and found Para nordic skiing. Exposure to one of Canada’s most successful Paralympic programs reignited that passion I felt when I was 11 years old on the ice. In 2020, I set a goal for myself to embrace the challenge of Para nordic skiing and see if I could push my limits and make it to the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. The pandemic hit and fortunately, I was able to focus solely on this sport. The hours spent training in every element pushed me to levels I never knew I could achieve.  

In 2021, I took a leap of faith, quit my job, and moved by myself from Southern Niagara to the Canadian hub of nordic skiing in Canmore, Alberta. I wasn’t carded (meaning I wasn’t receiving any funding through Sport Canada’s Athlete Assistance Program), and I wasn’t named to any teams. I just had full belief in my ability and the system in place that things would work out. And they did.  

I was selected to represent Canada at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games and realized my dream of becoming a Paralympian was within reach. After achieving a top 6 and two top 8 results in Beijing after only two years of training, I was motivated to continue pursuing skiing for another quadrennial and set my sights on the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. Since 2022, I’ve become a stronger skier, achieving 12 podium results, a second overall in my 2023 season, and a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships.  

It’s because of funding from donors like you that an emerging athlete like me was able to take her athletic dreams to the next level, relocate across the country, and put full focus into training. My journey has taken many unexpected turns, but I wouldn’t have it any other way – and I couldn’t have done it without the incredible team of supporters behind me, including YOU. 

Your generous support impacts the future generation of athletes and keeps the Paralympic dream moving forward. Every donation makes a difference in the growth of our movement and in the lives of athletes.  

Thank you! 

Donate today. Help IGNITE the future of Para sport.