At the Milan Cortina Paralympics, 16-year-old visually impaired alpine skier Meg Gustafson has relied on her 18-year-old brother Spenser to guide her down the slopes. The siblings from Colorado finished fifth in the giant slalom on Thursday in the visually impaired classification. They prepare for the slalom on Saturday, Meg's strongest event.
Meg Gustafson, a 16-year-old Para alpine skier with visual impairment, has been navigating the challenging courses at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, with her older brother Spenser as her guide. Born with a genetic disorder affecting the ligaments in her eyes, Meg experiences tunnel vision limited to seven degrees. She underwent four surgeries for a fully detached retina at age 12 and two more on her other eye.
The Gustafsons grew up skiing at Hyland Hills Ski Area in Minnesota, with family vacations in Colorado's slopes. The family later moved to Colorado, where both joined Ski and Snowboard Club Vail. Meg initially competed against able-bodied racers before entering the Para skiing community through Erik Petersen, director at the National Sports Center for the Disabled in Winter Park.
Their partnership emphasizes trust and communication. Spenser, dressed in an orange jacket and pants for visibility, skis a gate ahead, providing instructions via Bluetooth headsets. He calls out cues like "left-footed hairpin" and reminds her to "stand tall and get her hips up." Disqualification risks if he falls or gets too far ahead keep the pressure high. "I can’t crash. I can’t lose a ski," Spenser said, noting his bindings are set tightly to avoid mishaps.
In their Paralympic debut, the duo placed fifth in the giant slalom on Thursday, their best result. Meg also finished sixth in the downhill, seventh in the Alpine combined, and eighth in the super-G. Ahead lies the slalom on Saturday, where Meg hopes for a medal. She won seven FIS races leading up to the Games.
The sibling dynamic aids their performance. "We try to keep the brother-sister rivalry out of the relationship before and during the race. But after the race, sometimes it comes out," Spenser said with a laugh. Meg added, "Just blocking everything out except for your guide and the snow underneath your feet is definitely a big part."
Spenser, who aspires to college ski racing, called the experience "super-cool." Meg echoed, "It’s incredible that I get to compete with my big brother."
Their story highlights a collaboration built on years of shared skiing and open dialogue, strengthening their bond on and off the slopes.
