In February 2013, shortly after his 16th birthday, Aaron suffered a huge crash while competing in downhill mountain biking, sustaining a spinal cord injury which left him without movement in his legs. Not one to be held back or miss out on fun, just six months after his accident Aaron tried out sit skiing for the first time. His mates took him up to Mt Ruapehu for a ski lesson and a new passion was born.
Aaron gained his first international podiums in February 2017 with third places in Giant Slalom and Slalom at IPCAS races in Park City, USA. He was selected to the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games team for Pyeongchang but had to withdraw due to injury.
He made a successful comeback during the 2019 New Zealand winter and achieved podium finishes in the Southern Hemisphere Cups, including third in Super-G and second in the Slalom. After the pandemic forced a hiatus from international competition, Aaron returned with a seventh place finish at his debut World Para Snow Sports Championships Downhill race in January 2022.
Aaron was selected to the NZ Paralympic Team for Beijing 2022 in November 2021, and competed in March 2022, achieving a 9th place finish in the Men’s Super-G Sitting, as well as in the Men’s Slalom Sitting.
When not on snow his hobbies include go karting, kayaking and fishing. He’s still very much involved with the biking community and follows the World Cup action from where ever he is in the world.
Aaron received his Paralympic pin at the 2022 Snow Sports NZ Annual Awards Night presented by Racers Edge in September 2022. Paralympian #188 Corey Peters presented Aaron with his pin.
