Paralympics Wrap Up: What Milano Cortina Taught Us

Milano Cortina 2026 has closed, and we couldn’t be prouder of Team Australia.

While the team has added another two medals to our winter Paralympics tally (congratulations to Ben Tudhope!), they also scored some non-medal wins like Taryn Dickens making history as the first woman to compete in the vision-impaired Nordic sports for Team Australia.

Another historic milestone: the Milano Cortina Games were the most-watched Winter Paralympics on record! In Australia alone, 9Network reported 15 million viewers. That means more than half of the Australian population was tuning in! It’s a huge win for visibility, and shows the Paralympic spirit (courage, determination, inspiration and equality) is alive and well in the wider community.

5 lessons to take home from Milano Cortina

With the Games wrapped up, and our athletes back home – here are five things you can take home from the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, to inspire you in overcoming challenges both in sport and in your everyday life.

1. You never know unless you try!

Even para-athletes can take a while to find the right path. Trying new things can be scary, but it’s also the best way to find out if you like doing them! You can find opportunities to try adaptive sports through national organisations like Disability Sports Australia, the Australian Sporting Alliance for People with a Disability (ASAPD), or often through local community organisations.

If you’re curious about Para-sport or want to represent Australia one day, you can find information and opportunities through Paralympics Australia’s The Start Line program.

2. Doing your best is THE best

Many people think the point of sport is to win, but there’s so much more to it than that. If you only focus on winning or beating other scores, you miss opportunities to grow and enjoy doing what you love.

Instead of trying to be the best overall, focus on doing YOUR best first and foremost – that’s always enough!

Related: Just Do Your Best: Paralympians on Overcoming Challenges

3. Resilience is a superpower

Athletes on the world stage know it best – resilience is the best tool in your kit. Bouncing back from the unexpected is a big part of sport, and of life, because it keeps you from feeling discouraged if things don’t go according to plan. Developing mental resilience allows you to:

Treat ‘failures’ as opportunities to learn, not the end of the road. Failing is a normal part of life. It’s what you do next that matters! Taking lessons from our failures is more important, and way more useful, than never failing at all.

Keep challenging yourself. Challenging yourself is a great way to develop your skills – whether that’s keeping things interesting by trying to level up in sport, or challenging yourself in your everyday life.

Find inspiration in others. It’s all too easy to put ourselves down when we see someone doing something ‘better’ than us! But finding positive role models who inspire us is a great way to stay motivated long-term.

4. It’s never too late to start (or start again!)

You don’t have to have experience in a sport to get started – you just need to give it a go. Sport has no age barriers. The kinds of activity you enjoy and continue long term may vary depending on what works for you, but you can start – or start again – at any time. Whether you’re starting for the first time or returning to sports activities after a gap, all that matters is your goals, progress, and enjoyment.

Take Michael Milton, for example. After retiring from his Paralympic career in 2006 with 11 medals, he returned to Italy for the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. That’s a 20-year comeback! 

5. Finding your squad makes all the difference

Sport is better with mates! One of the big benefits of sport is the community it can provide, allowing you to network with other athletes or even role models in your chosen sport.

You can also build up your support squad with friends, family, mentors and coaches, and with formal supports from the NDIS to help you participate to your fullest. There’s no need to go it alone, or to struggle if you have informal and formal supports available.

Turning inspiration into action

If you’ve been inspired by the Paralympics to try new things and be more active, you’re in for a wonderful journey. Sport at any level helps improve your physical and mental wellbeing, allows you to learn new skills, and helps you meet new people. Finding activities you love is fun, social, and helps build your confidence.

NDSP is committed to amplifying Paralympics Australia’s vision for using sport to influence positive change. Whether you’re ready to join a team, explore a new hobby, or just try something for fun, your first step could be just around the corner. Check out The Start Line for para-sport resources, have a chat with your support team, or look up what’s available through local sports organisations to get started. 

Or, for practical advice to support your sports goals, why not grab a free downloadable copy of our ‘Get Active, Stay Involved!’ book. We’ve filled it with plenty of helpful links, real stories, and ideas to support your pathway to participation.