BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —
On March 6, the 2026 Winter Paralympics will begin in Milan-Cortina. There will be many sporting events to look forward to. However, Para bobsledding will not be available.
As of right now, it’s not an official Paralympic sport.
The U.S. Para Bobsled team is working to change that. For the past 12 years, they’ve been trying to qualify as a Paralympic sport but have been unsuccessful so far.
“Bobsledding is fast, it’s action-packed,” said John Napier, the team’s head coach.
Napier is no stranger to the high pressure of Olympic sport. He competed in the Vancouver back in 2010.
“It’s a really committed sport where you have to be committed to being in cold locations – Lake Placid, N.Y., where there’s a track, Utah, where there’s a track. These guys are traveling over to Europe this year,” he said.
Those two locations are where most of the practices happen. However, there is a challenge to that because the team members live in various states. They have to make time for their schedule.
For years, William Castillo has piloted life on the ice track going 80 miles per hour. He feels Para bobsledding gives him a sense of purpose, pride, and a mission.
“I’ve been bobsledding since 2017,” Castillo said.
