Menna Fitzpatrick suffered an ACL injury in December 2025 but returned to ski at the Paralympics after opting against surgery

After two seasons spent battling injury, Menna Fitzpatrick returned to Paralympic slopes in the women’s Super-G VI to compete with a torn ACL.

The visually impaired Para alpine skier is ParalympicsGB’s most decorated athlete at the Winter Paralympics but suffered an injury to her anterior cruciate ligament with cruel timing in December 2025.

Opting against surgery, it ruled the Macclesfield-born skier out of World Cups throughout January and left her racing against time to build strength around her knee to compete at Milano Cortina.

But Fitzpatrick made it back alongside guide Katie Guest to finish sixth in the Super-G in a time of 1:25.52 as she builds into the Games on the Italian Dolomites.

“It’s so lovely to be out here finally after the last two seasons of being injured. But I had a lot of fun, and I’ve got great confidence in the knee itself,” she added.

“Just the girls are skiing really, really well and they’re really pushing the competition, but we’ll slowly get closer and closer. Fingers crossed.”

For many, an ACL would signal the end of hopes of a Paralympic tilt, but just as Lindsey Vonn had taken to the slopes following her rupture in the Olympics, Fitzpatrick never saw her Games as in doubt.

“The medical team were really confident, they know me and they know my personality of working really, really hard in the tough times,” she said.

“I don’t think it was much of a question. They had every faith in me that I would be able to get back.”

Unlike Vonn, Fitzpatrick made it to the bottom in a more than respectable sixth-place finish that put her 5.83 seconds off the podium places.

But with three more events ahead of her and a race under her belt, Fitzpatrick is confident she can build form and will target adding to her six-strong medal total in Italy.

“Now that I’ve done one, I’m way more excited and confident for the next races,” said the 27-year-old.

“It was definitely a step up from the downhill training runs. I managed to let the skis run a bit more which is a step in the right direction for sure.

“But I was way more confident and just really enjoyed this course.”

Discover Every Body Moves powered by Toyota, ParalympicsGB’s inclusive activity finder. Empowering disabled people to find ways to become more active locally or at home and inviting providers to promote more inclusive sessions across the UK. Find out more at everybodymoves.org.uk.