As the sun set in the Italian Alps Sunday evening, the final Parade of Athletes gathered at Cortina Curing Olympic Stadium to conclude a magical competition in Italy. It was exactly seventy years after the 1956 Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics held both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at that same venue. 

The Paralympians showcased their identity, dedication and country pride through fashion on the world’s largest stage.

Give her something she can’t do.

The 36-year-old Paralympic superstar Oksana Masters shows out no matter the season. The most decorated U.S. Winter Paralympic of all time, Masters dominated the Milan Cortina Games in her 8th Paralympics after almost not being able to compete. She faced a serious leg infection and concussion that put her in a hospital for a week in the leadup to the Games. Three weeks before Masters was set to compete, the infection returned, which forced Masters to reset her mental game. 

In a post on Instagram, Masters wrote in the caption, "It’s easy to be an athlete when everything‘s going right. But when the hard moments come at worst time and you’re at the bottom rebuilding, THATS what shows the true character of the athlete.”

Masters can certainly handle tough adversity and obstacles. Born in Ukraine in 1989, just a few years after the Chernobyl disaster, Masters was born with birth defects due to radiation exposure, which ultimately led to needing both of her legs amputated. She was an orphan in Ukraine up until the age of seven, when she was adopted by an American couple. Her background has prepared her to persevere through the toughest times. Sports has helped Masters understand herself and see her body as a power that should never be underestimated.

Masters competed in both para cross-country skiing and para biathlon, winning a total of five medals during the 2026 Paralympics, four being gold. Masters won gold in the para biathlon sprint sitting events with pink poles and gloves topped with a black headband.

25-year-old Natalie Wilkie is all about sparkling and manifesting.

Wilkie started her Paralympic career at Pyeongchang 2018 when she was only 17 years old, which made her the youngest athlete from Canada. Wilkie now has eleven Paralympic medals to her name and was the Canadian flag bearer at both the Paralympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

Wilkie never won a Paralympic medal in para biathlon before — now she’s captured two gold in the event. Manifesting her destiny, Wilkie put on silver face glitter ahead of the para biathlon women’s standing sprint on March 7th and earned a silver medal. She decided to put her face glitter manifestation to the test by wearing gold glitter during the women’s para biathlon sprint pursuit standing final on Friday. As she hoped, the face glitter successfully matched the end result: a gold medal. 

30-year-old Brenna Huckaby is a two-time Paralympian snowboarder who grew up in Louisiana as a competitive gymnast. After dealing with lingering knee pain, Huckaby was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, which caused her right leg to be amputated at fourteen years old. Huckaby was first introduced to snowboarding shortly after on a rehabilitation trip to Utah.

Huckaby has successfully advocated for representation and inclusivity. During the Beijing 2022 Paralympics, Huckaby fought to compete in the LL-2 category and went on to win gold in banked slalom and bronze in snowboard, proving the need for equal opportunity.

Off the snow, Huckaby stunned in an off the shoulder gown designed by Georges Hobeika paired with Miu Miu shoes on the cover of Sports Illustrated for the 60th anniversary of the swimsuit issue in 2024. Huckaby posed alongside brand legends Chrissy Teigen, Tyra Banks and Kate Upton. Huckaby has used her shoots with Sports Illustrated to shatter stereotypes and embrace diversity.

Huckaby conquered the slopes in her signature purple hair. After losing her hair to cancer and having it regrow, she realized she could do whatever she wanted - from cutting to dying.

51-year-old Cécile Hernandez is the only original female para snowboard pioneer still competing - and this time, against competitors who are 27 years younger. 

Hernandez won a medal in Sochi 2014, making her one of just six para snowboard medalists in the sports’ Paralympic debut. The legend of the sport, who has multiple sclerosis, has only gotten better and more resilient with age. 

On March 8th, International Women’s Day, Hernandez won back-to-back gold medals in the women’s SB-LL2. Hernandez raced in a navy blue patterned suit stamped with the Equipe de France logo. Hernandez cried at the top of the podium raising a plushie in the air (along with her gold medal, of course) showing off her cotton candy-colored Le Coq Sportif gloves. Her daughter, Victoire-Eléonore Hernandez, cried even harder with a French flag and photo of her mom.

“It’s incredible and I still can’t realize what happened,” Hernandez said. “I’m very, very, very proud. My daughter is here, and my dream was to see some tears, but tears of joy in my daughter’s eyes and on her face. I did it, and this medal is for her.” 

From Boise, Idaho, Dani Aravich  represented Team USA in para biathlon and para cross-country skiing while showing off her Western roots.

Aravich, nicknamed the “Biathlon Bandit,” is known for wearing cowboy boots to every race and had a custom Team USA cowboy hat made for Milan. She usually pairs her look with glitter freckles and funky hairstyles when she competes. 

Aravich was born without her left hand and forearm and grew up as a multi-sport athlete, competing in soccer, track, and softball.

She is one of three athletes fronting the SKIMS x Team USA collaboration campaign alongside Olympic bobsledder Kaysha Love and ice dancer Madison Chock. 

China has skyrocketed in the sled hockey ranks, and won bronze against Czechia in an impressive comeback.

Jintao Tian scored twice in the win and is confident that China’s sled hockey team can reach an even higher level and continue improving. 

Li-Ning designed the 2026 Chinese Olympic and Paralympic uniforms, focusing on “Eastern sports aesthetics.” 

The red hockey jerseys included beautiful gold embroidered patterns around the torso and pants with a traditional Chinese gold dragon on the sleeve.

36-year-old Ralf Etienne made history as Haiti’s first Winter Paralympian.

Etienne lost his leg in Haiti’s 2010 earthquake and sixteen years later is representing his country on top of the Italian Alps. He only learned how to ski a year ago and is determined to showcase a different version of Haiti to the world. 

He competed in the men's giant slalom standing race in a colorful blue, purple and orange ombre ski suit. He is the first standing para Alpine skier from the Caribbean. 

Etienne embodies discipline and resilience — his inspiring life journey has carried him from rubble to mountain tops. 

19-year-old Kim Yunji is a rising star and captured the gold in para biathlon. Yunji showed off her strength and power, skiing against USA’s most decorated Paralympian, Oksana Masters. A teenage history-maker, she earned the first-ever women’s Winter Paralympic gold medal for South Korea.

Yunji, who has a congenital spinal disability, started skiing in 2020 for rehabilitation. She stunned in international competition, making her the biggest medal hope for the South Korean team at these Games.

Yunji wore a custom suit highlighting her country pride in her golden para biathlon run. Her red top was splashed with blue on one sleeve, and white and black stripes on the other. The South Korean flag was stamped on her bicep.