Elyse Kochman, Protect Our Winters Australia, Climate Campaigner

As a Climate Campaigner at Protect Our Winters Australia (POW), Elyse supports efforts to increase public awareness, build advocacy networks, and drive positive change for Australia’s alpine environments and communities. Through her work with POW, Elyse is fighting to protect the Alps from climate change and support meaningful, science-based action to save our snow for future generations.

Elyse has a background in nonprofit environmental management, working previously for Oceana and The Ocean Foundation in grassroots campaigning, scientific research, community outreach, and policy development.

Kyra Wheatley is an Australian Ski Cross Olympian who represented Australia at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Over the past several years, she has competed on the FIS European Cup and World Cup circuits, racing against the world's best athletes while navigating the challenges and growth that come with elite sport.

The past season tested Kyra's resilience more than ever. Following a serious shoulder injury requiring reconstructive surgery and a significant knee injury that also required surgery, she worked her way back to compete at the highest level. Her journey in recent years has been as much about finding purpose beyond results as it has been about performance on the snow.

Away from competition, Kyra is studying Construction Project Management at the University of Technology Sydney and is passionate about creating more opportunities for the next generation of Australian winter athletes. She enjoys speaking openly about the realities of elite sport, from the highs to the setbacks, and hopes to inspire others to pursue ambitious goals while embracing challenges along the way.

Ellise Rodney began her snowsports career straight out of high school when, at just 17 years old, she travelled to Canada to complete a gap program and gain her snowboard instructor qualification. At 18, she relocated to Mt Hotham and, more than 12 years later, continues to call the mountain home.

Throughout her career, Ellise has held a diverse range of roles within the snowsports industry, including private lesson sales, race and events, and Mighty Mites Supervisor. Five years ago, she was promoted to Operations Manager of the Snowsports School, a position she continues to enjoy and thrive in today.

Ellise has been fortunate to work and instruct internationally, gaining experience at Big White in Canada, Niseko in Japan, Gstaad in Switzerland, and most recently in Val d'Isère and Tignes, France. Alongside her winter career, she has pursued a Bachelor of Marketing, which she is close to completing, and more recently has been training as a Pilates instructor. This allows her to combine her passion for movement, health and wellbeing with her long-standing career in snowsports.

Darcie Morton is one of Australia's leading biathletes and earned selection for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games, becoming the first Australian biathlete in 12 years to qualify for an Olympic Games and the nation's sole biathlon representative.

Darcie has represented Australia internationally in both biathlon and cross-country skiing, competing at the Winter Youth Olympic Games, World Junior Championships and IBU World Championships. Since 2021, she has been a regular member of Australia's international biathlon team, competing on the IBU World Cup circuit and establishing herself as one of the country's top winter athletes.

Before focusing on biathlon, Darcie also competed internationally in cross-country skiing, including at the World Junior Championships and the Asian Winter Games. Earlier in her sporting career, she represented Australia and Oceania in table tennis from a young age.

Away from sport, she holds a Bachelor of Medical Science and is currently undertaking Australian Defence Force Reserve Officer Training.