From Team Bath Futures to Milano-Cortina 2026 – skier Hester Poole all set for Winter Games debut with ParalympicsGB
Bath skier Hester Poole has been selected to represent ParalympicsGB at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games, which take place in Italy from 6th to 15th March.
The 18-year-old will race in the visually impaired class Para Alpine events, partnered by guide Ali Hall with whom she has skied since 2023.
Hester is a familiar face around the Team Bath Sports Training Village (STV), where she has trained and enjoyed sport for almost a decade. She progressed from Team Bath Tribe activities onto the Team Bath Futures Athlete Development Programme, where she received bespoke strength and conditioning training as her skiing career – which she started aged seven – flourished.
She then briefly moved onto the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) before joining the Lottery-funded GB Snowsport Team performance programme, continuing to do her off-slope training at the STV with the UK Sports Institute (UKSI).
Jess Clements, Sports Development Manager at the University of Bath, said: “We would like to send a huge congratulations to Hester from all of us at Team Bath. It has always been her dream to compete at a Paralympic Games and we can’t wait to see Hester fulfil that ambition at Milano-Cortina.
“We’ve continued to follow Hester’s career since she progressed from Team Bath Futures and are so proud of what she has achieved. She is an inspiration to all at the STV and a fantastic example to those aspiring athletes currently on the Futures programme of what can be achieved through dedication and commitment.”
Hester, who has enjoyed plenty of success at FIS and National Championships level over the past three seasons, is a passionate disability rights activist, fundraiser, and Youth Ambassador for the Ethiopiaid and Guide Dogs for the Blind charities.
Team Bath Futures, sponsored by Bath Building Society, provides tailored training programmes and support for emerging athletes aged 9-17 across a wide range of sports, designed to maximise gains and reduce the risk of injury at each stage of their growth and maturation. Visit teambath.com/futures to find out more.
Picture credit: ParalympicsGB.
