Pressure, Trust And Breaking Bad Habits

Courtesy Paralympics Australia

For starters, it’s pronounced ‘Gun-ev’.  

The other thing you need to know about Georgia Gunew is that this Brisbane-based beachgoer is happiest tearing down a ski run at speeds approaching 100 kilometres per hour, trusting her guide Ethan Jackson to act as her eyes.  

“It feels amazing,” she said. “It feels pretty out of control. You’re holding on for dear life. 

“Ethan, my guide’s, yelling at me. He’s like, ‘You got this! Come on!’ And I’m like, ‘OK, I’ve got this! Let’s go!’ Getting across the finish line, every time, yo just think ‘I made it’.” 

Gunew is being humble. After her fledgling career was put on hold during Covid, she was included in the national set-up in 2023 and that northern season won her first medal on the World Cup circuit, in the slalom. In the 2024-25 season, she added another two medals, in slalom and giant slalom, placing her firmly in contention for a spot on the Australian Paralympic Team for Milano Cortina.  

Imagine What We Can Do is a campaign by Paralympics Australia. Continue reading Georgia's profile on the Australian Paralympic Team website.