Melissa Perrine facts for kids
Melissa Perrine in March 2019
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| Nationality |  Australia |
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| Born | 21 February 1988 Nowra, New South Wales |
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| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Para-alpine skiing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability class | B2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Downhill Super-G Giant Slalom Slalom Super Combined |
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| Paralympic finals | 2010 Winter Paralympics 2014 Winter Paralympics |
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Medal record
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Melissa Perrine (born February 21, 1988) is an amazing Australian para-alpine skier. She is visually impaired, which means she cannot see very well. Melissa has competed in four Winter Paralympics, from 2010 to 2022. She has won many medals, including three gold medals at the 2015 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships and two bronze medals at the 2018 Winter Paralympics.
About Melissa Perrine
Melissa Perrine was born in Nowra, New South Wales, Australia. This was on February 21, 1988. In 2007, she was named the Young Australian of the Year for her local area. She was also featured on a TV show called X Paralympic Games in 2010.
Melissa's Vision
Melissa was born with four different eye conditions. These conditions include cataracts and glaucoma. Her eyesight has slowly gotten worse since she was very young. Now, she can only see blurry shapes and colors.
Melissa's Education
Melissa is also very smart! She studied Exercise Science at the Australian Catholic University in Sydney. She earned a Bachelor's degree in 2011 and a Master's degree in 2012. Later, she completed another Master's degree in Physiotherapy at Western Sydney University.
Melissa's Skiing Career
Melissa is a B2 classified visually impaired skier. This means her vision is very limited. To ski, she relies on a guide who skis in front of her. The guide uses a microphone and speakers to tell Melissa where to go on the course.
Early Competitions
Melissa first skied in a competition with her guide, Andy Bor, in 2009. This was at the IPC North America Cup in Colorado, where she finished second in the super-G event. In November 2009, Melissa was officially chosen for the Australian team for the 2010 Winter Paralympics. She and Jessica Gallagher were the only two women on the team. This was only the second time Australia sent women to the Winter Paralympics.
Overcoming Injuries
Before the 2010 Paralympics, Melissa had a fall at a World Cup event in Italy. She fractured a bone in her hip. She had to return to Australia to recover. But Melissa is tough! She was back on the slopes by the end of the 2009/2010 skiing season. She even competed in the 2010 World Cup in Aspen, Colorado, where she won one silver and two bronze medals.
Paralympic Games Appearances
Melissa has competed in four Winter Paralympic Games.
2010 Winter Paralympics
Melissa and the Australian team arrived at the Paralympic village on March 9, 2010. At the 2010 Winter Paralympics, she competed in several events. These included the Downhill, Super-G, Super Combined, and Giant Slalom. She finished seventh in the visually impaired Super-G. She and her guide, Andy Bor, also finished fifth in the Downhill event.
2014 Winter Paralympics
At the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Melissa competed in five events. She finished fourth in the women's downhill visually impaired. In one event, the Super Combined, she was disqualified. This happened because she had tape on her helmet visor to keep rain off her goggles. This was against the rules, but it was an honest mistake.
2018 Winter Paralympics
Melissa was chosen for her third Games, the 2018 Winter Paralympics. This was a very special Games for her! She won her first Paralympic medal, a bronze, in the Women's Combined Visually Impaired event. Her guide for this event was Christian Geiger, who was also her coach. The very next day, she won another bronze medal in the Women's Giant Slalom visually impaired. Melissa also had three other top-five finishes. Because of her great performance and competing in three Games, Melissa was given the honor of carrying the Australian flag at the Closing Ceremony.
2022 Winter Paralympics
At the 2022 Winter Paralympics, Melissa competed with her new guide, Bobbi Kelly. She finished sixth in the Women's Giant Slalom Visually Impaired. After these Games, Melissa announced that she was retiring from Winter Paralympics competitions.
World Championships Success
Melissa has also achieved great success at the IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships.
2011 World Championships
At the 2011 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships, Melissa and Andy Bor won a silver medal in the Downhill event. This was the first silver medal ever won by an Australian woman at this event! She also earned bronze medals in the Super Combined and Super-G events.
2015 World Championships
Melissa and her guide Andy Bor had an amazing performance at the 2015 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in Panorama, Canada. She won five medals!
- Gold medals: Downhill, Super-G, and Super Combined
- Silver medal: Slalom
- Bronze medal: Giant Slalom
Melissa became the only Australian female alpine skier to win a medal in all five events at an IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships.
2019 World Championships
With her new guide, Bobbi Kelly, Melissa continued her success at the 2019 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia.
- Gold medal: Women's Super Combined Visually Impaired
- Silver medals: Women's Giant Slalom and Women's Super G Visually Impaired
- Bronze medal: Women's Slalom Visually Impaired
Awards and Recognition
Melissa Perrine has received several awards for her achievements:
- 2018: New South Wales Institute of Sport Clubs NSW Personal Excellence Award. This was for her success at the Paralympics and finishing her Master's degree.
- 2019: Ski and Snowboard Australia - Athlete of the Year (Paralympic disciplines).
- 2019: Australian Institute of Sport Awards - Female Para-athlete of the Year.
- 2022: Paralympics Australia Female Athlete of the Year.
- 2022: She was a Joint Team Captain for the Australian Team at the 2022 Winter Paralympics. She also carried the flag at the Opening Ceremony with Mitchell Gourley.
