Ningbo mountains to Italian Alps: Wang Xinyu's Paralympic journey

Wang Xinyu, a 24-year-old snowboarder from Ningbo, is competing at the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Italy as Zhejiang province's only contending athlete, marking her second appearance at the Games.

Wang grew up in a small mountain village in Ninghai county. At the age of six, she lost her lower left leg in an accident, yet remained an energetic child who found confidence and joy through sports, first trying swimming and sitting volleyball. 

Her winter sports journey began almost by chance in 2018, when she was a high school student. Curious about snow — something rarely seen in southern China — she tried out for the Zhejiang provincial para-snowboard team; an experience that quickly changed her life. Standing on a snowboard for the first time, she felt an immediate thrill and decided to pursue the sport seriously.

Only eight months after joining the team, Wang stunned observers at China's 10th National Games for Persons with Disabilities in 2019, winning silver in snowboard cross and gold in the snowboard slalom; Zhejiang's first in an ice-and-snow event at a national comprehensive competition in the adult category.

Behind this rapid rise were years of demanding training and physical pain. Wearing a prosthetic leg during intense practice often caused injuries to her residual limb, and she even required surgery after the 2019 season. Despite her family's worries, Wang returned to the slopes after fully recovering.

Her persistence paid off when she competed at the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics, finishing fifth in the snowboard slalom — Ningbo's best-ever result in the event.

Since then, Wang has continued to improve, earning podium finishes at national competitions and a silver medal in the mixed snowboard cross team event at the World Para Snowboard Championships.

Now racing in the Italian Alps, Wang carries both personal ambition and regional pride as the sole athlete from Zhejiang on China's Paralympic delegation.