Merrickville Paralympian pushes toward 2026 Winter Games with community support behind him

Merrickville resident and Paralympian Brian Rowland is closing in on his goal of competing at the 2026 Milano–Cortina Paralympic Winter Games — and the community is helping him get there.

Rowland, a para alpine skier and former member of Team Canada, has launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to help cover travel costs, training expenses, and highly specialized equipment as he works toward representing Canada on the world stage once again.

Rowland has spent the past decade rebuilding his life around sport after a devastating spinal cord injury left him paralyzed from the waist down. In that time, he has pushed through rehabilitation, intensive training cycles, and multiple injuries — all for the chance to don the maple leaf once more. The athlete seems to be well on his way as the the online campaign has already raised more than $10,220 toward its $12,000 goal.

In terms of what the raised funds will go towards, Rowland explained that Para alpine skiing requires equipment far beyond what traditional competitive skiers use, including custom seating, shocks, outriggers, leg covers, and specialized skis.

With travel, training camp fees, lodging, and technical gear, the cost of staying competitive is steep — and often falls directly on athletes. “That’s why community support makes such a difference,” Rowland emphasized.

In an interview with Brockvilleist, Rowland said that the chance to compete at the Paralympics again is nothing short of electrifying. “To be able to compete at the highest level against the world’s best is what it’s all about,” he shared. “Everything has to fall in line perfectly to peak at the Games and it’s quite a journey just to make it to the start gate.”

As the 2026 season approaches, Rowland and his teammates are waiting for colder temperatures and enough snow in British Columbia to resume their full training schedules. Unfortunately, unseasonably warm weather has already thrown a wrench in the early season preparations.

“The mild weather these past two seasons has dampened our early November skiing,” Rowland explained. “Climate change is real, and I saw evidence of it in October while training in Chile. Our camp was cut short due to lack of snow.”

Despite recent challenges, Rowland says he is eager to forge ahead towards his ultimate goal. “I’m really pumped to hit the slopes again as soon as possible and to make a big push leading up to the World Cup races in December,” he told Brockvilleist.

“I’ll be racing in Austria, Italy and Switzerland before Christmas,” he continued. “On the hardest days I think of how fortunate I am to be skiing and that I am in good health… It’s not hard to find motivation when I do what I’m passionate about.”

He also shared a message for young athletes or anyone facing adversity that is still striving toward a goal: ““With a good attitude, work ethic and a positive mindset, anything is possible. Be creative with your imagination and follow your dreams.”