Australian Trailblazer Set for Ski Mountaineering's Olympic Debut
Australian athlete Lara Hamilton is poised to make history as she competes in ski mountaineering's inaugural appearance at the Winter Olympics during the Milano Cortina 2026 Games. This groundbreaking sport, often called skimo, combines ascending mountains on specialized skis, hiking with equipment, and rapid descents, with Hamilton representing Australia on this global stage.
From Family Roots to Olympic Heights
Hamilton's journey began in childhood when her parents, particularly her father who raced World Cup Nordic skiing, instilled in her a love for winter sports. Growing up in Perisher, New South Wales, she learned to ski on old family equipment before discovering backcountry skiing during her college years in the United States. This evolved into competitive ski mountaineering as she sought faster, more efficient ways to navigate mountainous terrain.
"It was just in the family," Hamilton recalls of her early skiing experiences. "I found backcountry skiing when I moved to the US for college in 2019, and then slowly that turned into ski mountaineering because I saw a way to do what I was doing much faster."
The Perfect Convergence of Skills
Hamilton's path to Olympic competition is uniquely shaped by her dual expertise in skiing and trail running. Her unexpected victory in a Sydney Harbour 5km race at age 17 revealed a natural talent for running that eventually earned her a US college scholarship for track and cross-country. This background in highly aerobic sports has proven invaluable for ski mountaineering, which demands exceptional endurance and cardiovascular fitness.
"My trail running results are arguably still to this point better than my mountaineering results, although I'm starting to catch up," Hamilton acknowledges. "I know I'm good at the highly aerobic stuff. And I think it's so cool to try and put Australia on the map."
Overcoming Significant Challenges
Hamilton's Olympic pursuit has been marked by two persistent obstacles: financial constraints and a chronic health condition. Like many Australian winter athletes, she faces constant financial pressure, describing herself as "living off the smell of an oily rag." Her training and competition costs are supported through donations, minimal government funding, and income from part-time work, DJ gigs, and Nordic ski coaching.
Additionally, Hamilton manages ankylosing spondylitis (AS), an inflammatory condition affecting her sacroiliac joints that causes pain and stiffness. The unpredictable progression of this disease complicates her training and competition schedule, though she has developed a treatment regimen that aligns reasonably well with the Olympic competition calendar.
"I just have a course of treatment that I take a couple of times every month," she explains. "The problem is the immunosuppression component and constantly having to time it around competitions."
The Olympic Opportunity and Beyond
With specialized coaching only beginning in October 2025, Hamilton has seen dramatic improvements in her performance. While excited about representing Australia at the Olympics, she remains equally motivated by what she might achieve in the sport beyond the Games. The sprint format events at Milano Cortina will showcase athletes' ability to transition quickly between climbing, hiking, and descending elements of ski mountaineering.
Hamilton finds particular joy in the sport's connection to nature, describing early morning sessions in alpine environments as "the best way to start the day." This appreciation for wilderness environments, combined with her competitive drive, fuels her Olympic ambitions despite the challenges she faces.
As ski mountaineering makes its Olympic debut, Hamilton represents not just Australian winter sports but the growing global community of athletes embracing this demanding discipline. Her journey from Perisher's slopes to the Olympic stage demonstrates how passion, perseverance, and diverse athletic talent can converge to create Olympic history.
