Background

National Ski Team Background:

Multi-sport athlete Christina Picton made her Paralympics debut at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing. The Para nordic skier competed in four events and reached the top-eight each time including a sixth in the cross-country sprint.

Since those Games, she’s emerged as a medal threat in both the women’s sitting cross country and biathlon. She posted her best result on the Para biathlon World Cup circuit in January 2026 with a fourth in the 12.5 kilometre individual.

Picton posted three top-five finishes at the 2021-22 season opening World Cup in Canmore to solidify her spot for Beijing.

She made her international debut in January 2020 at a World Cup event in Utah, earning podium finishes in both sprint and middle-distance races.

In addition to her Para nordic career, Picton is the captain of Canada’s women’s Para ice hockey team.  She led Canada to a silver medal at the inaugural women’s worlds in August 2025.  In 2019, Picton, was one of four women invited to the national Para hockey development camp, where she played against the United States.

Introduction to Cross-Country Skiing:

After years of involvement in developing Para Ice Hockey throughout Canada and her own community, Christina found out about cross-country skiing through one of her participants on  the “Learn to Sledge” program she facilitates in Port Colborne, Ontario. Linda Hamilton recognized Christina’s athleticism and encouraged her to go out on the snow for the first time. It was that afternoon skiing with Linda that hooked Christina to a new sport. Christina has always been a dedicated athlete who seeks out new challenges. Cross-country skiing provided her with a new opportunity to challenge her abilities, and with the momentum she gained throughout the 2019 ski season she realized that setting her sights on the national team was a goal she wanted to work towards. It’s always been Christina’s dream to represent her country at the Paralympic games. When she realized her work ethic and skills she developed through Para Ice Hockey transferred to the sport of skiing, her dream was re-established and has motivated her to work even harder towards her goal.

Personal:

Christina was born with a congenital deficiency that affected both her legs and ultimately led to her having her right leg amputated. She has never been one to let her disability slow her down. Christina has been involved in Parasport since she was 11 years old. Her passion for sport began when she was introduced to Para Ice Hockey and she has become a force within the sport over the last 15 years. Christina is the captain of the Women’s National Para Ice Hockey team and was notably the first female athlete to try out for Hockey Canada’s Senior Men’s Para Ice Hockey Team.

Christina has been dedicated to developing the sport in her community, throughout Canada and even internationally. Her experiences throughout her athletic career has also inspired her to advocate for female athletes as well as Parasport in as a whole.

Christina works full-time as a graphic designer and has contributed to the face of the parasport community by designing logos for multiple parasport organizations.