Wilkie among headliners looking to lead Canada through successful Paralympic Games

Vilde Nilsen, of Norway, and Natalie Wilkie, of Canada, left, compete in the para cross-country women's sprint, classic standing, at the Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim, Norway, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

To Natalie Wilkie, the constant chase in the life of an athlete is but an illusion.

The para nordic skier from Salmon Arm, B.C., is among the headliners of Canada’s 50-athlete team for the Milan Cortina Paralympics that open Friday. Wilkie, one of Canada’s flag-bearers for the opening ceremonies, has seven medals in just two Paralympic appearances coming into Italy.

But the goal for more, for better, doesn’t stop there.

“I feel like there’s always this need for continuous improvement. We’re all chasing this illusion of perfection,” the 25-year-old said. “’Once I get this technique, once I train this many hours, once I can do this, that will be the purpose here.’ But it’s an illusion, you know?

“You’re always moving the goalposts, setting new goals, setting your intentions, working to continue to improve yourself because that’s what sport is. You’re always trying to be the best version of yourself you can be, and there is no perfect because everybody’s different.

“... At the end of the day, that’s what keeps sport exciting, is that there’s no end point except being the best version of yourself that you can be.”

Wilkie is among several Canadians looking to push their country further in the medal standings. Canada had 25 medals, with eight golds, at the 2022 Games, finishing third in the gold-medal standings for the fourth consecutive Winter Games.

Entering these Paralympics, Wilkie earned six victories on the Para biathlon World Cup circuit and earned the Crystal Globe as the overall champion in the women’s standing category for the first time in her career.

Wilkie, who lost four fingers on her left hand in a school workshop accident in 2016, has won all her Paralympic medals in individual and relay cross-country events.

But the one a medal has eluded her in is the biathlon, an event that blends skiing with the skill of shooting. Wilkie finished 15th in the six-kilometre biathlon event at the 2022 Beijing Games.

“I think the toughest mental aspect of my sport is probably, for me at least, is dealing with the pressure of biathlon,” Wilkie said. “Biathlon has always kind of been a weakness of mine. I’m a pretty slow shooter.

“And I just find it so tough to switch from skiing to then just completely focusing in the range and hitting all my targets. I’m good at skiing, I am good at grinding out tough workouts and stuff but I find it challenging to switch between the two. It’s like you’ve got to put the switch in your brain.”

However, Wilkie has answered the bell at the last two biathlon world championships, winning gold in the 7.5km and 12.5km at the 2025 event. She won gold in the 7.5km and bronze in the 12.5km at the 2024 worlds.

“It’s definitely a confidence boost having a couple of good years under my belt. And just seeing how I’ve improved the platform as well as cross-country,” she said. “... I’m really excited to see what I can do with a lot of things.”

The buildup to these Games hasn’t come without new challenges for Wilkie, whose Paralympic debut in 2018 came as a 17-year-old. Dealing with toe and ankle injuries a couple of years back has taught her how to better manage and care for her body to be in shape.

“Since then things have gotten better and I’ve better learned how to manage symptoms and stuff around training and stuff so I feel like I’m finally on top again,” she said. “But there is a time where I was not running, I was not classic skiing, and I went months with only skate skiing and cycling.

“And I taped my feet so much during the race season. I still classic raced even though it wasn’t the best, but I made it happen. And looking back, I probably should have given myself a bit more of a break, but it worked out.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2026.

Abdulhamid Ibrahim, The Canadian Press