Milano And Cortina Came To Hollywood For Three U.S. Nordic Skiers

Every other week we scour the web for the latest going on in the world of U.S. Para Nordic skiing. Here’s what you missed!

Athletes Take Part in Universal Shoot For Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics

Three of the top American Para Nordic skiers were recently provided another reminder that the Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 are quickly approaching.

Standing skier Dani Aravich and sit skiers Aaron Pike and Oksana Masters were among 50 Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls invited to take part in Team USA’s 2025 Universal Shoot in Los Angeles. The photo and video shoot is an opportunity for Team USA to capture content for athletes who are hoping to qualify for next year’s Milano Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

Watch a montage of the best bits from the 2025 Team USA Universal Shoot in Los Angeles here.

Pike and Masters, who are engaged and teammates on the U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing national team, have been dubbed “Pikesana.” It only made sense then then that the two Paralympians would pose together during the video shoot.

At point, Pike and Masters got into a snowball fight on the soundstage in Los Angeles and tossed fake snow at each other.

Pike and Masters are both seven-time Paralympians who are looking to compete at their eighth consecutive Paralympics next winter in Italy. They’re both multi-sport athletes who have competed at every Summer and Winter Paralympics since 2012 — Pike in Nordic skiing and track and field while Masters has earned 19 medals in Nordic skiing, cycling and rowing.

Aravich, a two-time Paralympian, gave a tour of the “Team USA Chalet” that was used as a set during the shoot. The set included a few mementos from previous Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

Kendall Gretsch Makes Change to Training Schedule Ahead of Winter Paralympics

Kendall Gretsch typically doesn’t get to enjoy much of an offseason as a two-sport star who competes in Nordic skiing during the winter and the triathlon in the summer.

She decided to make a change this spring to help her better prepare for Milano Cortina, where she’s expected to be among the gold-medal favorites in the biathlon and cross-country skiing. Find the full story here.

Gretsch, who celebrated her 33rd birthday on April 2, took three weeks off from training after wrapping up her Para Nordic skiing season in March. She also opted to compete in only a couple of triathlon races instead of a full schedule this summer.

“For me, the bigger part is just the mental break. I think it can get really exhausting going from one season to the next,” Gretsch told USParaNordic.org. “So, just as important as the physical break I think is the mental break and just having that time to not think about training and not think about competing.”

Gretsch is a seven-time Paralympic medalist in Nordic skiing and the triathlon. She’s also in an elite group of American athletes who have earned a gold medal in both the Winter and Summer Paralympics.

She was named the FIS women’s sit skiing world cup overall winner after a dominant season that included her winning three gold medals at the IBU Para Biathlon World Championships in Pokljuka, Slovenia, in early February.

Para Nordic Skiers Celebrate International Biathlon Day

Nordic skiers from across the globe celebrated the first-ever International Biathlon Day on May 24. Check out the full story here.

A group of American athletes recognized the occasion while taking part in an offseason training camp that U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing holds every May in Bend, Oregon. While at the camp, they had the opportunity to test out new air rifles at the shooting range.

U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing shared footage on Instagram of Aravich and fellow Paralympian Sydney Peterson skiing and practicing their rifle shooting for the biathlon in Bend. Aravich and Peterson are teammates on the U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing national team.

Aravich provided some details on Instagram of her weeklong training in Bend, including 12 hours of skiing and three hours of strength training.

“First ski camp of the season: arms sore, snacks depleted, snow skied, & some excitement brewing for this season,” Aravich wrote on Instagram.

The Two Jakes: Brown Serves As a Guide For Adicoff

Jake Brown got to know visually impaired skier Jake Adicoff when they were paired together at a media event prior to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics. 

Brown was preparing at the time to make his Olympic debut in the biathlon, while Adicoff was about to compete in his third Winter Paralympics.

A few years later, Brown heard from Nicholas Michaud, a coach with U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing, that Adicoff needed more guides to help direct him around the course during his races. Brown agreed to help.

See more about how the two Jakes have quickly formed a successful partnership that could potentially lead to Brown competing in both the Olympics and Paralympics at Milano Cortina 2026 here.

On Feb. 28, with Brown serving as his guide, Adicoff won gold in the 10-kilometer interval start free race at the final world cup event of the season in Steinkjer, Norway. He crossed the finish line in 26 minutes, 54 seconds, 51 seconds ahead of silver medalist Iaroslav Reshetynskyi of Ukraine.

The world cup season finale was the only major competition where Brown guided for Adicoff this past season, but they could be paired up again at the Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics.

“I’m here to be helpful to Jake and the Para team if I can be,” Brown told USParaNordic.org. “… I have no ego in this. This is just something that is a really cool thing for me to get to do, and if they decide, ‘Hey, Jake is going to be helpful to us as a team and for Jake (Adicoff), then great.’ Then I’ll get to be a part of it, and that’d be really, really cool.”

Brown was one of three athletes who spent time as a guide for Adicoff this past season. The four-time Paralympic medalist also worked with Reid Goble, a Michigan native who is putting off med school to pursue a potential Paralympic berth alongside Adicoff.

Read the full story on Goble's decision and path to serving as a personal guide for Adicoff here.

Peter Wolter, a longtime friend of Adicoff who also grew up in Idaho, also debuted as a guide last season.

Check out more about their longtime friendship and how Wolter stepped in as one of Adicoff’s guides in the lead up to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics here.

Alex Abrams has written about Olympic and Paralympic sports for more than 15 years, including as a reporter for major newspapers in Florida, Arkansas and Oklahoma. He is a freelance contributor to USParaNordic.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc