Melissa Perrine

**Melissa Perrine** (born 21 February 1988) be B2 classified visually impaired para-alpine skier wey komot Australia. She compete for de four Winter Paralympics from 2010 to 2022. For de 2015 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships, she win three gold, one silver den one bronze medals.

## Personal

Na dem born Melissa Perrine insyd Nowra, New South Wales, for 21 February 1988. Insyd 2007, de Wingecarribee Council area name am dema Young Australian of de Year. Na dem feature for de Australian Broadcasting Corporation ein *X Paralympic Games* insyd March 2010. Na dem born am plus four separate eye conditions, wey dey include cataracts, nystagmus, micropthalmia den glaucoma. Na ein eyesight slowly dey deteriorate since na she dey very young. Ein vision be limited to blurry shapes den colours. As of 2014, she dey live insyd Welby, New South Wales, wey dey study Exercise Science for de Australian Catholic University insyd Sydney. Insyd 2011, she plete Bachelor of Exercise Science follow by Master of Exercise Science insyd 2012 for de Australian Catholic University. She plete Master of Physiotherapy for Western Sydney University.

## Skiing

Perrine be B2 classified visually impaired skier. She dey get direction for de course from guide wey dey use microphone den speakers to communicate plus am for de course top. She first ski plus ein sighted guide Andy Bor for 2009 insyd competition for de IPC North America Cup insyd Colorado, wer na she fini second insyd de super-G. Na dem officially name am for de Australian 2010 Winter Paralympics team insyd November 2009. Alongsyd Jessica Gallagher, na she be one of two women dem name to de team. Na ebe de second time per Australia send women go de Winter Paralympics. Na dem hold ceremony insyd Canberra plus Australian Paralympic Committee presido Greg Hartung den Minister for Sport Kate Ellis make de announcement.

For 2010 World Cup event insyd Italy ahead of de Paralympics, Perrine fracture de ischium bone insyd ein hip as result of fall. She return go Australia. Na she be back for de slopes top by de end of de 2009/2010 skiing season, wey she compete insyd de 2010 World Cup insyd Aspen, Colorado. She earn silver medal den pair of bronze medals for de event.

Perrine den de rest of Australia ein Para-alpine team arrive insyd de Paralympic village for 9 March 2010 for de 2010 Winter Paralympics. While for de Games, she compete insyd de Downhill, super-G, super combined den giant slalom events. She fini seventh insyd de visually impaired super-G, approximately 12.54 seconds behind gold medal-winning Slovak skier Henrieta Farkasova. She no fini insyd de super combined event. Dey follow ein first run insyd de Super G, na she dey insyd sixth place, buh she no fini ein second run wey she no place. She den Bor fini fifth insyd de 2,139 metres (7,018 ft) downhill.

For de 2011 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships, plus Bor as ein guide, Perrine win silver medal insyd de vision-impaired downhill event, de first one ever earn by Australian woman for de event. She sanso earn bronze medals insyd de women's vision impaired Super Combined den super-G events. For August 2011 competition insyd Mt Hutt, New Zealand, she fini first insyd de women's super G visually impaired event. For de Winter Games IPC event for Coronet Peak dat same month, she den Bor fini first insyd de women's slalom visually impaired event.

For de 2012 World Cup event insyd Italy, Perrine fini third insyd de slalom while she dey ski plus Bor. She win silver medal insyd de giant slalom.

For de 2014 Winter Paralympics insyd Sochi, Perrine compete insyd five events. She fini fourth insyd de women's downhill visually impaired buh she no fini insyd three events. Na dem disqualify am after de slalom leg of de Women's Super Combined secof she dey wear visor wich na dem tape to ein helmet so say e go keep rain from ein goggles. Na dis be breach of de IPC Alpine Skiing rules. Jason Hellwig, CEO of de Australian Paralympic Committee describe am as "mindnumbingly-dumb mistake" as dem no pick am up by relevant team officials. Na he indicate am honest mistake wey na no intention dey make dem cheat.

Perrine plus ein guide Andy Bor win five medals – three gold, one silver den one bronze insyd Women's Visually Impaired events for de 2015 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships insyd Panorama, Canada. Na dem win gold medals insyd de Downhill, Super-G, Super Combined, silver medal insyd Slalom den bronze medal insyd de Giant Slalom. Perrine cam turn de Australian female per insyd alpine skiing make she fini for de podium top insyd all five events for IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships.

For de 2017 IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup Finals insyd PyeongChang, Perrine den ein guide Bor win two bronze medals – downhill den giant slalom. Perrine get limited 2016/17 season secof ein university commitments.

Na dem select am make she compete for de 2018 Winter Paralympics, ein third Games. For de Games, she win ein first Paralympic medal by winning de bronze medal insyd de Women's Combined Visually Impaired plus ein guide Christian Geiger, wey sanso be ein coach. De day wey dey follow she win de bronze medal insyd de Women's Giant Slalom visually Impaired. She get three oda top five finishes - fourth insyd de Women's Slalom Visually Impaired den fifth insyd both de Women's Downhill Visually Impaired den Women's Super-G Visually Impaired. Na dem give Perrine de honour of de Closing Ceremony flag bearer secof she compete for three Winter Games wey she win two bronze medals insyd PyeongChang.

Plus ein fresh guide Bobbi Kelly, Perrine win de gold medal insyd de Women's Super Combined Visually Impaired, silver medals insyd de Women's Giant Slalom den Women's Super G Visually Impaired den de bronze medal insyd de Women's Slalom Visually Impaired for 2019 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships insyd Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. For de 2022 Winter Paralympics plus ein guide Kelly, she fini sixth insyd de Women's Giant Slalom Visually Impaired wey she fail make she fini de second run insyd de Women's Slalom Visually Impaired. Perrine announce ein Winter Paralympics Games retirement.

## Recognition

* 2018 - New South Wales Institute of Sport Clubs NSW Personal Excellence Award secof she couple ein PyeongChang success plus de completion of Masters of Physiotherapy.
* 2019 - Ski den Snowboard Australia - Athlete of de Year (Paralympic disciplines)
* 2019 - Australian Institute of Sport Awards - Female Para-athlete of de Year
* 2022 - Paralympics Australia Female Athlete of de Year
* 2022 - Joint Team Captain plus Ben Tudhope of Australian Team for 2022 Winter Paralympics wey she carry de flag for de Opening Ceremony plus Mitchell Gourley

## References


## External links
 at Wikinews

* Melissa Perrine at Paralympics Australia
* Melissa Perrine at de International Paralympic Committee
* Melissa Perrine at IPC.InfostradaSports.com (archived)