Born in Colombia without a left leg, Oliberth Reyes never thought he would be able to ski, let alone train for the Winter Paralympics.
The 33-year-old was only introduced to adaptive skiing at an event for para athletes last year.
He became fascinated by the one-legged alpine skiing, a sport he had never heard of before.
“I didn’t even think this sport was an option for me, or an activity that I would be able to do,”
he said.
His knack for the sport was identified by Paralympic development coaches, and just weeks later he was training with them on the slopes of Perisher.
In pursuit of Olympic glory, Reyes has recently swapped his life in Sydney for the Snowy Mountains town of Jindabyne.
Oliberth Reyes moved to the Snowy Mountains to pursue a career in para alpine skiing. (Supplied: Oliberth Reyes)
Swimmer to skier
Competing in snow sports was unheard of for a child growing up in the Colombian mountains, so Reyes dedicated his younger years to swimming.
He took up climbing, rowing and wheelchair racing when he moved to Australia in 2018.
Reyes was born in Colombia and learnt to swim at four years old. (Supplied: Oliberth Reyes)
However, he was captivated by his first full run of the mountain at Perisher.
“I remember the first day vividly. I must have fallen a thousand times,” Reyes said.
“That sense of fulfilment I felt towards the end of that first day is something that’s going to live in my mind forever.“
He returned to his life in Sydney at the end of the 2025 season and was encouraged by a para development coach from Snow Sports Australia, Tom Hodges, to practice skiing by rollerblading.
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“Rollerblading is probably one of the closest dryland equivalents you can do, so we definitely encouraged him to spend time rollerblading,” Mr Hodges said.
Reyes’s team quickly realised he needed more time on the snow, so his then-pregnant wife Sarah Mulcare suggested they move.
In June, just eight months after welcoming baby Luka into the world, the young family packed up their life and moved to Jindabyne.
Reyes’s wife Sarah Mulcare had the idea to move to the snow at the start of 2026. (Supplied: Oliberth Reyes)
Training for gold
Between barista shifts at a cafe, Reyes trains five days a week with coaches from Snow Sports Australia and Paralympics Australia in hopes of qualifying for the 2030 Winter Paralympics.
Reyes became an Australian citizen in 2023 and hopes to represent Australia on the ultimate international stage.
“Getting to represent your country doesn’t come easily and it’s not an opportunity afforded to every person,” Mr Hodges said.
“He is working very hard and he’s got his heart and mind set on it.
“It will be interesting how far he can go in such a short space of time. We are going to give him every opportunity to get to that point.“
Reyes is gearing up to compete in his first race event later this season with the potential to partake in international competitions next year.
“I’m just going to put it out there already,” Reyes said.
“I am going to bring the gold medals home.”
