Meet Team Visa
Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018
Seun Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere, Akuoma Omeoga
Nigeria, Bobsled
Seun Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere and Akuoma Omeoga made international headlines with the 2016 announcement that they had formed the first-ever Nigerian Women’s Bobsled team. They hope to make history by qualifying for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 as the first-ever male or female bobsled team from the continent of Africa to compete in the Olympic Winter Games. The Houston based team continues to train despite having to relocate due to recent hurricane Harvey impact.
BeiBei Chu
China, Para Cross-Country Skiing
Chu, a mother of two, ranks among the most accomplished sit-skiers on the Chinese para cross-country ski team. She first developed an interest in cross-country skiing through the Chinese National Winter Program Selection for disabled individuals. After years of training, she went on to make history in 2017 when she won bronze in the women’s 2.5km at the IPC cross-country skiing World Championship in Lviv, Ukraine, despite reduced visibility. In doing so, she became the first Chinese female athlete to represent her country on the podium at an IPC competition. At the 2016-2017 IPC World Cup in Finland, Chu finished fifth in both the 2.5 and 12 kilometre competitions in the female sitting group.
Now training with coach Zhu Dewen, Chu is working hard to achieve her goal of bringing home a Paralympic medal at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, and plans to compete in five individual and group disciplines.
Chloe Kim
USA, Snowboard - Halfpipe
As a 13 year-old, Chloe Kim qualified for the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014 and would have been a favorite to win Gold, but by rule was too young to compete. At the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, as a first generation Korean American, Kim is looking to win her first Olympic Gold medal in her parents’ home country. The Southern Californian teen has quickly become the sport’s biggest star aiming to make her Olympic Winter Games mark in PyeongChang.
Hilary Knight
USA, Ice Hockey
Hilary Knight was a member of the United States Women’s Ice Hockey Team that won Silver medals at the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014 and Vancouver 2010, and is hoping to bring home her first Gold at PyeongChang 2018. Off the ice, Knight is a leading advocate in the fight for equal compensation for female ice hockey players and also made history in 2014 when she became the first female skater (non-goalie) to practice with an NHL team.
Lim Hyo-Jun
South Korea, Short Track Speed Skating
Born and raised in Daegu, South Korea, Lim, Hyo-Jun has taken the short track speed skating world by storm. He shocked the South Korean short track speed skating team when he won the Winter Olympic trials in April, 2017. Considered an unknown in the world’s most competitive and successful short track skating team, Lim, virtually an amateur, beat the country’s best, and now has a chance to medal in his home country at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.
Mac Marcoux
Canada, Para Alpine Skiing
Born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Mac Marcoux demonstrated athletic talent from a young age. Mac learned to ski at age 4 and enjoyed go-cart racing in his early youth. At age 9, he started to lose his vision due to a juvenile form of macular degeneration called Stargardt disease. By age 10 he was legally blind, but this never stopped him from pushing on. Discovering the possibilities of para-sport and with inspiration from Canada’s McKeever brothers, Mac set his sights on downhill ski racing. Training at Searchmont Ski Resort with brother BJ as his guide, the two entered their first para-alpine event in Kimberly, British Columbia when Mac was just 13, capturing the attention of Alpine Canada. At the age of 15, Mac burst onto the International Paralympic Committee World Cup circuit earning three World Cup Podium finishes closing the season with a silver medal at the World Championships held in La Molina, Spain, with BJ as his guide.
At age 16, Mac took the slopes of Rosa Khutor by storm, competing in the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games as the youngest member of the Canadian team. Mac went on to win Gold in giant slalom and Bronze in both downhill and super-G (visually impaired).
On winning Gold, Mac commented: “This is a dream come true … It is the best moment of my life. I can't even explain how amazing this is.”
After the victories, Mac and B.J. were inducted into the Sault Ste. Marie Walk of Fame, and Sports Hall of Fame. When asked whether he ever expected the honor, Mac said, “Not a chance, I wouldn’t have expected this for a million years.”
Mac has continued to achieve career success earning 8 World Championship Medals, 4 Crystal Globes and 34 World Cup Podiums to date. Already, Mac has been hailed as a favorite to dominate the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, where he will compete with new guide Jack Lietch.
Oksana Masters
USA, Para Cross Country & Biathlon
Oksana Masters was born with complications that later were linked to nuclear radiation exposure and she was given up for adoption at a Ukrainian orphanage. Needless to say, the now three-time Paralympian has been defying all odds since birth. Masters has three Paralympic medals under her belt (2 Bronze and 1 Silver), and is hungry for her first Gold at PyeongChang 2018. She’s also hoping to make history. After missing the medal podium by 3 seconds in 2014, Masters is aiming to be the first US athlete at the Olympic or Paralympic Winter Games to medal in Biathlon.
Mark McMorris
Canada, Snowboard – Slopestyle & Big Air
Mark McMorris doesn’t believe in limits. After a near-fatal crash in back-country British Columbia in March 2017, McMorris’ determination to reach the top of the podium at PyeongChang 2018 is what is fueling his recovery to push himself beyond the limits. Given that he won Bronze at Sochi 2014 just two weeks after suffering a fractured rib, McMorris is determined to defy the odds once again at the Olympic Winter Games, and bring home Gold in the inaugural big air event – arguably his best event.
Momoka Muraoka
Japan, Para Alpine Skiing
At age 4, Muraoka was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a neurological inflammation of both sides of one section of the spinal cord that can result in paralysis. She first began sit-skiing while at primary school and started competing professionally in 2011.
By the age of 18, Momoka Muraoka had already proven to be an ascendant talent in the world of Para alpine skiing. After finishing fifth in giant slalom at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, the sit-skier won a Silver medal for downhill and a Bronze for giant slalom at the 2015 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Alpine Skiing World Championships in British Columbia, Canada, medalling alongside the sport’s best sit-skiers.
Muraoka also won Gold and Bronze medals in the super G and giant slalom races, respectively, at the 2017 IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup in Hakuba, Japan, solidifying her standing as Japan’s top female sit-skier.
“When I can overcome one wall, I can see a wall that is a little bit higher, so I sometimes feel that it is an endless challenge in my sports life,” Muraoka said in an interview with Paralympic.org. “But this is what attracts me to alpine skiing.”
Now studying sports science at Waseda University in Tokyo, Muraoka is training for her goal to win a Gold medal (or two) at the Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.
Caroline Park
South Korea, Ice Hockey
As a Canadian born hockey player, Caroline Park took the bold step of becoming a Korean citizen in order to compete for her parent’s home country at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. Taking a leave of absence from medical school, Park understands that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Her fierce competitiveness and passion for hockey shows how dreams can become a reality, no matter what stands in the way.
Jung Seung-Hwan
South Korea, Para Ice Hockey
Jung Seung-Hwan is known by fans and opponents alike as one of the fastest para hockey players in the world. He’s so fast, in fact, that he’s been dubbed “rocket man.” In his storied Para ice hockey career, Jung has garnered “Best Forward” awards on two occasions: in the 2013 Paralympic Winter Games Qualification Tournament in Turin, Italy, and the 2015 World Championships B-Pool in Ostersund, Sweden.
At age 5, Jung lost his left leg after an accident, resulting in an amputation. He picked up Para ice hockey in 2004, despite concerns from his parents that the sport was too tough. Jung instead proved with his fast playing style and strong leadership that he deserved to be ranked as one of the top Para ice hockey players in South Korea. Jung would lead South Korea to a Silver medal at the 2012 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships A-Pool in Hamar, Norway. He would also bring home a Gold medal (and the Best Forward award) at the 2013 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey Qualification Tournament in Torino, Italy, where he notched eight goals and four assists.
After helping South Korea to a 7th place finish at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, Jung served as the country’s flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. He was voted to again serve as the flag bearer for the Closing Ceremony.
Now, with South Korea playing host in 2018, Jung is determined to bring his team to the podium and win a medal for his country.
Park Seung-Hi
South Korea, Speed Skating
With five Olympic medals under her belt in short track speed skating, Park, Seung-hi is pushing the status quo by making the incredibly difficult switch to long track speed skating for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. Park describes the transition as an “impossible mission,” but does not want to settle for her past successes. She uses past experiences as motivation—particularly a devastating crash in the women’s Short Track 500m Final in Sochi—to fuel her training. Park seeks gold in front of a hometown crowd, in a new sport, in her third Olympic Winter Games.
Mikaela Shiffrin
USA, Alpine Skiing
After making history at the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014 as the youngest American to win Olympic Gold in Slalom, Mikaela Shiffrin is looking to solidify her place in Olympic Winter Games history by winning more Olympic medals than any other female alpine skier. During PyeongChang 2018, she is determined to compete in four individual events and the team competition.
Kamil Stoch
Poland, Ski Jumping
Born and raised in Zakopane, a Polish ski resort, Kamil Stoch learned to ski when he was three years old, and started jumping just one year later. By the time he was sixteen, Stoch made his World Cup debut and two years later he competed in his first Olympic Winter Games. At Sochi 2014, Stoch won two individual Golds, making him the third ski jumper in history to win both individual events. After battling injuries the past two years and fresh off of a 2017 Team World Championship gold, Stoch is looking to fight for more as he heads into his fourth Olympic Winter Games.
Sara Takanashi
Japan, Ski Jumping
At 4 feet 11 inches tall, what Sara Takanashi lacks in stature she makes up for in skill. Her rise in an extremely demanding event has cemented her legacy in the Japanese Olympic Winter Games program and reflects her spirit and commitment to achieving excellence in her sport. Takanashi has been dominant, and is already one of the most successful athletes in the history of ski jumping at the age of 21 – having won the World Cup overall title 4 of the last 5 years. She heads to the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 as a medal favorite.