Beechworth’s Liana France is a step closer to her dream of representing Australia in March next year at the Milano Cortina Paralympic Winter Games.

Referred to a rising star in skiing competitions by professional skiers, Liana won her category race in the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) Para-Alpine National Championships held for the first time in Australia at Perisher last week.

“This was the big race of the season held in Perisher and one of my qualifying competitions,” Liana said.

"I will be undertaking a series of qualifying competitions overseas, but this race was my debut into international ones.

“It’s also an adult race where you have to be 16 years old.”

Liana said she has come a long way in her competitive skiing journey clocking up great achievements.

“This win in the pinnacle of achievements as I’ve won the first internationally accredited para race held in Australia and it’s so exciting,” she said.

After a severe vehicle accident severed her hand two and a half years ago Liana has only skied with one stock, and a prosthetic on her left hand.

“Part of this race series was getting my classification which is my position in para sports, and where I fit in,” she said.

“My classification is lower limb LW6/8-2 which means that I don't get a time penalty because I have a small impairment that doesn't impact me.

“In Paralympics, the races are time handicapped according to the degree of disability of impairment for race score calculations.

“Having qualified with this classification means I can go overseas and compete internationally.”

Liana – long-listed for the Paralympics in Slalom and Giant Slalom – will leave Australia in December to train with the Snow Australia Para High Performance Team in Canada.

The young athlete will then head to the European circuit which will bring her directly into the Paralympics.

“I'll start in Liechtenstein and end in Milano where the Paralympics is being held,” she said.

“It will be an amazing opportunity if I can represent Australia and I will be really honoured.

“I’m with an amazing Australian team of athletes in a really positive community.

“I feel like a little sister as they are a quite a bit older than me, but they have kind of adopted me into the team.

“It's all so exciting.”

Liana has an Australian Sports Foundation campaign page at www.asf.org.au/campaigns/liana-france/get-me-to-the-games-winter-paralympics-2026 to help her get to the games and undertake qualifying competitions.

“People can be part of an official cheer squad of the Australian Paralympic team too by visiting www.paralympic.org.au/athlete/liana-france/," she said.

During the ski season, Liana spends most of her time at Falls Creek where she takes part in a full-time International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) race training program with the Falls Creek Race Club.

The Year 10 student fits her studies in remotely with great support from her school, Beechworth Secondary College.

Recent wins this year also include successfully defending her Giant Slalom title at the Mogul Ski World Australian Interschools Snowsport Championships at Mount Buller.

She also won the Under 35 Female category in the Summit Masters Giant Slalom Race at Falls Creek.