[Archive 2012-12-17] Wikinews interviews Australian disability standing skier Jonty O'Callaghan

Historical archive — originally published 2012-12-17. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

Recently, Wikinews spent time with with Australian Paralympic skier Jonty O'Clallaghan who was in Copper Mountain, Colorado for the IPC Nor-Am Cup.

((Wikinews)) I'm interviewing Jonty O'Callaghan, one of the Australian skiers with the IPC [International Paralympic Committee] Nor-Am Cup, and you're a fifteen-year-old?

Jonty O'Callaghan: Yup. Yeah, I've been skiing since I was about ten and I really enjoy racing.

Jonty O'Callaghan: It's the matter of if I qualify by getting enough good races and points.

Jonty O'Callaghan: Over the past few years in Australia I've been doing full time in tenth grade in the Australian winter, which means the school at the mountain brings up my work from my home school in Melbourne to do up at the mountain when I'm not skiing.

((WN)) Since you're not on the development team, do you get enough support or your parents are supporting this?

Jonty O'Callaghan: Yeah, my parents support me all the way. I've never doubted their support always though the journeys and I [thank them] for their support throughout and continuing through my journeys.

Jonty O'Callaghan: which weakens two of my limbs and which means I favor my left side a lot more.

((WN)) Do you do any other sports anything other than skiing or are you one of those Australian ski bunnies?

Jonty O'Callaghan: I've done a lot of sports doing my journey, I've always played cricket, Australian football, played a little tennis, and I like golf too as a hobby.

Source and licence

Text adapted from Wikinews interviews Australian disability standing skier Jonty O'Callaghan by Wikinews contributors under CC BY 2.5. Paragraphs have been selected and abridged, and formatting adjusted. Contributor history.