Celebrated each March, Women’s History Month recognises the meaningful and diverse impact women have made throughout history.
This year at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, our women produced many inspiring performances, including:
- Jakara Anthony making history as the first Australian to win two Winter Olympic gold medals in women’s Moguls.
- Josie Baff becoming our first Snowboard Cross gold medallist.
- Danielle Scott winning an Olympic medal at her fourth Olympics.
- 16-year-old Liana France, making history as Australia’s youngest female Winter Paralympian.
- Lauren Parker joining a rare group of Australians competing at both Summer and Winter Paralympic Games and recording two top 10 finishes in two different disciplines – placing eighth in the Women’s 10km Interval Start Sitting competition and ninth in the individual 12.5km Biathlon.
This year for Women’s History month, we also reflect on some other iconic female athletes that have competed at the Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
Zali Steggall OAM
Steggall is a four-time Olympian, first representing Australia at the Albertville 1992 Winter Olympics as a 17-year-old. Her bronze medal at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics in Slalom was the first skiing medal ever won by an individual Australian at Olympic Games level.
Alisa Camplin AM OLY
Camplin became the first female to win a gold medal at the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics after placing first in the Freestyle Skiing Aerials. She did it the hard way by landing a pair of triple-twisting, double backflip jumps with both her ankles fractured.
Camplin then added a bronze medal four years later at the 2006 Winter Olympics. She was recovering from a series of serious injuries and won her medal having had just 20 days jumping on snow in the previous two years.
Torah Bright OAM
Bright carried the Australian flag at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony and went on to win the Halfpipe gold medal. There were injury concerns heading into the final. She crashed on her first run, however went on to produce an amazing final run. This was Australia’s first medal in an Olympic snowboard event.
Four years later, at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, she became the first female to compete in triple events (Slopestyle, Halfpipe and Snowboard-cross). She won silver in the halfpipe at Sochi, just 0.25 points from first place. Her silver medal in the Halfpipe made her Australia’s most successful Winter Olympian at the time.
Jess Gallagher
Gallagher made history at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Paralympics becoming the first Australian woman to win a Winter Paralympics medal when she won bronze in the Slalom.
Gallagher is also the first Australian athlete (Olympic or Paralympic) to win Summer and Winter medals.
Melissa Perrine
Perrine is Australia’s first female Paralympian to compete in four Winter Paralympics (2010-2022). At her third Paralympics in PyeongChang, she won her first Paralympic medal by winning the bronze medal in the Combined with her guide and coach Christian Geiger. The pair went on to win an additional bronze medal in the Giant Slalom the next day.
These are just a few of the historic moments that Australian women have been involved in at the Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
While Australia won’t be hosting a Winter Games, we look forward to seeing what other historical moments will be made at the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Australian Government is proud to partner with the Queensland Government to fund key venue and transport projects, and other initiatives to support the successful delivery of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.