Arendz, Wilkie lead Canada’s powerhouse Para nordic ski team into Paralympic Games

By Canadian Press on January 30, 2026.

CALGARY — Decorated skiers Mark Arendz and Natalie Wilkie lead Canada’s Para nordic ski team into the Milan Cortina Paralympic Games.

Canada’s 15-skier team bound for the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in Fiemme Valley was announced Friday in Calgary.

The Paralympic Games run March 6-15 after the Olympic Games in Italy.

Arendz of Hartsville, P.E.I., owns a dozen Paralympic medals in both cross-country skiing and biathlon, including two gold, and heads to his fifth Winter Games.

Wilkie of Salmon Arm, B.C., is a triple Paralympic champion with seven career medals heading to her third.

Canada’s nordic skiers claimed 14 medals in Beijing in 2022 and a record 16 in 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2026.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press