Seattle nurse represents Team USA in 2026 Winter Paralympics
SEATTLE - A Seattle Children's nurse is representing Team USA on the slopes for the 2026 Winter Paralympics.
Erin Martin, a nurse care manager at Seattle Children's Hospital, is competing in her second Paralympics for para Nordic skiing, or sit skiing.
ZHANGJIAKOU, CHINA - FEBRUARY 28: Erin Martin of Team USA skis during a Official Training session at Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Centre on February 28, 2022 in in Zhangjiakou, China. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images for International Paralympic
The backstory:
Martin previously participated in the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games as a relative newcomer to the sport, discovering para Nordic skiing in 2019 after a climbing accident in North Bend left her paralyzed from the mid-chest down.
Martin initially picked up adaptive rowing and hand-pedaled cycling before a friend introduced her to para Nordic skiing, where she made rapid progress and competed in the U.S. Sit Ski National Championships in 2020 and 2022, along with a World Cup event in Germany.
Now with experience as a Paralympic athlete, the Seattle native plans to put her elite training to use and make her hometown proud. She's also the only athlete representing Washington state in the Paralympic Winter Games.
Martin is a Seattle University graduate and supports patients at Seattle Children's, while also working to make the outdoors more accessible to adaptive athletes across the Pacific Northwest.
The Winter Paralympics runs from March 6–15, and is available to watch on NBC, CNBC, Peacock and USA Network.
The Source: Information in this story came from Team USA, U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing, and Seattle Children's Hospital.
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