Para alpine ski racer Paralympian #188 Corey Peters has secured four Paralympic medals during a glittering career on the international stage.
A former Taranaki age group and development squad rugby representative his life changed in September 2009 when he sustained a crushed spinal cord at a motocross event. Spending a four-month period in a Spinal Unit learning how to adapt to life as a wheelchair user was tough, but Corey was determined to continue to live a fulfilled life.
In 2011 he was introduced to the sport of sit skiing. He took to the sport immediately and the same year won gold in the men’s adaptive sit-ski event at the Para snowboard Winter Games at Cardrona Alpine Resort in New Zealand. From there he set himself the goal of representing New Zealand at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. Corey not only achieved his goal but surpassed expectations to win a silver medal in the Men’s Giant Slalom Sitting event and placed fourth in the Men’s Super Combined Sitting.
Corey continued to impress in 2015 claiming gold medals in the Men’s Downhill Sitting and Men’s Super-G Sitting and silver in the Men’s Giant Slalom Sitting at the IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in Canada.
Corey clinched a second Paralympic medal of his career at PyeongChang 2018 with bronze in the Men’s Downhill Sitting.
In January 2022, after three years of no international competitions due to COVID restrictions, Peters stormed back onto the slopes with an exceptional fourth place finish in the Men’s Giant Slalom Sitting at the World Para Snow Sports Championships. He followed this with a bronze medal in the Men’s Super-G Sitting World Cup soon after, proving himself a serious medal contender for Beijing 2022.
He soon delivered on this promise, taking gold in the first event of the first day of the Beijing 2022 Paralympics, the Men’s Downhill Sitting. On day two, he added silver in the Men’s Super-G Sitting.
Later in 2022 Corey and partner, Karin, welcomed baby Valentina into the world and the sit skier opted to take a year out of the sport to focus on family life. On his return in mid-2023 he dislocated his shoulder while training in Chile and was forced to spend a further 12 months on the sidelines.
Returning for the 2024-25 season, Wānaka-based Corey indicated a return to form after finishing third in a Super-G event in Italy.
Corey was named Para Athlete of the Year at the 60th ISPS Handa Halberg Awards for his Beijing 2022 performances. In the 2023 New Years Honours he was appointed MNZM for services to sit-skiing. Corey officially received his ‘numbered’ Paralympic pin as part of The Celebration Project in Queenstown in September 2020.
