Name: Melanie Schwartz
Sport: Alpine Skiing
Event(s): Downhill, Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, Super Combined
Classification: LW2, Standing
Height: 5-5
Weight: 115
DOB: 8/9/1985
Birthplace: Toronto, Canada
Hometown: Aspen, Colo.
High School: Forest Hill Collegiate Institute (Toronto, Canada) ‘03
College: University of Waterloo ‘08, Computer Science
Team/Club: Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club
Paralympic Experience
- Three-time Paralympian (2010, 2014, 2018)
- PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, 7th (downhill), 8th (super-G, super combined), 11th (slalom)
- Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, 9th (super-G), 10th (slalom), 14th (giant slalom)
- Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, 10th (super combined), 12th (giant slalom), 13th (slalom), 14th (super-G) – representing Team Canada
World Championship Experience
- Most recent: 2017 – 7th (downhill), 8th (super combined), 9th (giant slalom, slalom), 10th (super-G)
- Years of Participation: 2015, 2017
- Top Finish: 2017 – 7th (downhill)
Personal:
Born in Toronto, Schwartz started skiing at a young age and began her racing career in 2007. As a congenital leg amputee who is also missing most of her right hip, she races on one ski with two outriggers, which are poles with ski tips at the bottom. At the Paralympic Winter Games Vancouver 2010, she skied in four events for Team Canada. In 2012, she transitioned to the U.S. Paralympics Alpine Skiing National Team. She landed a spot on her first U.S. Paralympic Team in 2014 for the Paralympic Winter Games Sochi...She enjoys giving back to her community through volunteer service...She volunteered with the War Amps CHAMP (Child Amputee) program for eight years...Has worked with a variety of programming languages on several platforms in both classroom and professional environments...She worked full time as a product database specialist...Daughter of Dale and Jay Schwartz...Has three siblings, Rachel, Robyn and Aleksandra...Hobbies include cycling, cooking and going on various types of adventures...Speaks fluent French...Credits Swiss alpine skier Didier Cuche as her idol.
