Two local Paralympians are hoping for gold while they compete in Milano Cortina for the Winter Paralympics.

Rob Armstrong, a two-time silver medalist from Erin is heading into his third Paralympics. He’s determined to get on the highest level of the podium for Canada in Para ice hockey.

“We have one goal in mind and that’s to win gold,” said Armstrong.

Madison Mullin is a local blind Paralympian from Fergus, competing in Para nordic skiing, along with her guide, Brooke Ailey. As a first-time Paralympian, she’s more focused on the experience than results. 

“One of my goals is just to make sure I’m living in the moment, because I really want to take in everything that’s happening and learn from all the other athletes on our team and off our team from other countries,” said Mullin.

She said she wants to move up a couple of spots, after making the top 10 at the World Cup, and beat her personal best. 

“I’m excited to race against all the other athletes and then work together with Brooke and see how it is in the first Games and what we can do to change for the next ones over the next four years,” said Mullin. 

Despite having previous experience, Armstrong says each Paralympics is a different journey.

Playing at ages 21, 25 and now 29, Armstrong says he feels a different excitement toward this year’s Paralympics. But one thing that remains the same is the rivalry with the U.S. team.

“Obviously the U.S. has been performing quite well in ice hockey. So we know that’s our biggest competitor this time around.”

The past two Paralympics, the U.S. team won both gold-medal games against Canada. The heartbreak for Canadians continued this past Olympics, when both the men’s and women’s hockey teams lost to the U.S in the gold-medal games.

Armstrong says this doesn’t change anything for the Para ice hockey team. 

“We didn’t come in thinking, ‘OK, now we have to win.’ The plan was always to try and win a gold medal. So that doesn’t change,” Armstrong said, adding the pressure is on the U.S., since they have the opportunity to go for three medals. 

What’s different about Para ice hockey and Para Nordic skiing?

In Para ice hockey, the rules are the same as stand up hockey.

The difference is that players have an impairment of permanent nature in the lower body, causing them to use double-blade sledges instead of skates. Instead of one stick, players use two sticks. One has a spike end for pushing and the other has a blade end for shooting.

In Armstrong’s case, he had a rare virus attack his spine at age six. 

He was introduced to Para ice hockey when he was 10.

“I always was loving hockey. So I had to find that outlet,” he said. He saw the sport at a Mississauga tournament and wanted to try it for himself.

“It wasn’t too long after that, I hopped on the ice for the first time. I was really bad, like awful. But I loved the feeling of being back on the ice.”

He says the Paralympics are a great opportunity to get fans in the seats and let them enjoy some high-quality product. 

“I think we’ve grown the sport to a point where people want to watch hockey, no matter the form.”

Para nordic skiing involves cross country skiing and biathlon. Cross country skiing has races ranging from 2.5 km to 20 km, using either classical or free techniques. 

Biathlon is a combination of cross country skiing and shooting a rifle. Paralympians must always lay down while shooting, differing from Olympic biathlon, which alternates prone and standing.

Skiers with a visual impairment, like Mullin, wear a headset while shooting. An acoustic signal indicates how close they are to the target, by playing different pitches.

Mullin competes in the NS-3 category, which is the most vision within the visually impaired category. She was born with congenital glaucoma, and has light perception through her right eye and smaller peripheral vision in her left eye.

Although Mullin doesn’t need a guide, she prefers to compete with Ailey to help with turns, branches or uneven snow.

“So when we first started working together, it was learning about Maddie’s vision and learning about what she needed and what she didn’t need. And then to be there together … she can just follow me and ski together,” said Ailey. 

The two athletes started training together last year in August. Together, they won three silver medals in the women’s visually impaired events in December 2025 at the season opener in Canmore.

Ailey also races individually, reaching the top 10 at the 2025 FISU World University Games in the 10 km interval start. 

Mullin and Ailey have their first Paralympic race on Saturday in the 7.5 km individual biathlon race.

Armstrong’s first Para ice hockey game is the same day. The Canadian team faces Slovakia in the first preliminary round.

Watch from home

CBC, Canada’s Olympic Network, has launched its Paralympics page to cover all the events from Italy.

CBC will offer around the clock coverage every day from the Milano-Cortina Winter Games, with over 120 hours of live content available on its digital platforms.

Along with TV broadcasts on CBC and its partner networks Sportsnet and TSN, people will be able to stream all of the action from Milano Cortina 2026 live and on demand exclusively at CBC Gem.

A complete CBC streaming schedule for Milano Cortina 2026 can be found online and the schedule can be filtered by sport or by events featuring Canadians and medal events. 

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