Maderan named to U.S. Para team

For The Madera Tribune

Madera’s Zach Williams.

---

PARK CITY, Utah — U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced the 12 athletes who have accepted their nomination to the 2024-25 U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team across all classifications and disciplines.

New to the team this year is sit-skier Zach Williams from Madera, who earned the 2024 super-G national championship title. Williams was born and raised in Madera and was a wrestler despite being born without tibia bones and his legs amputated when he was 18 months old.

“Some people want to go to the Paralympics,” he said during an interview in July. “I’m attracted to being on the U.S. Ski team than the U.S. Olympic team. Being on the U.S. Ski team is slightly different than being on the Paralympic team. The U.S. Ski team is harder to make because it’s a smaller team. They compete on the World Cup winter circuit. That’s the upper echelon of our sport. The World Cup and the Paralympics is the farthest you can go. My foot is in the door. It’s one thing to win in Park City, but the World Cup is another level.”