Athletes from around the globe are gearing up for the 2022 Paralympics, which take place March 4 to 13 in Beijing—and many have been preparing in our own backyard. Ten Coloradans will represent Team USA in the hunt for glory, the most named from any state in the country (Utah took silver with seven). Below, we break down everything you need to know about each one.

Alpine Skiing

Jasmin Bambur
Discipline: Downhill, Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, Super Combined
Hometown: Granby
The road to representing the U.S. in the Paralympics was a long one for this Bosnian athlete, who fled war in his home country when he was 12. Bambur eventually found a home in America through a high school foreign exchange program, even playing for the U.S. National Handball Team in 2000. But after training one night, Bambur fell asleep while driving and was paralyzed in a car wreck, leaving him in a deep depression—until he took up skiing. He became the first Serbian to compete in the Winter Paralympics in 2010, before receiving U.S. citizenship and joining Team USA for the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi. There, Bambur achieved his highest Paralympic placement (he also competed in PyeongChang in 2018), finishing seventh in the super-G slalom.

Tyler Carter
Discipline: Slalom, Giant slalom
Hometown: Colorado Springs
We have the Pennsylvania Center for Adapted Sports camp to thank for Tyler Carter’s prowess on skis: He fell in love with the sport after attending one of the nonprofit’s programs as an eight-year-old. After years of dreaming and diligent training, Carter competed in both the Sochi and PyeongChang Paralympic Games (he placed 19th in the slalom during the latter competition). The 28-year-old Coloradan is looking to one-up himself this year—and inspire the kids he mentors through Classroom Champions, a nonprofit that brings professional athletes to students in underserved communities.

Allie Johnson
Discipline: Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G
Hometown: Fraser
Johnson, who makes her Paralympics debut in March, began skiing at age three thanks to her grandparents, who were volunteers at the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) in Winter Park. “I do not simply ski for myself,” Johnson said. “I ski for everyone with a disability that has been told, ‘You can’t.’ ” In the warmer months Johnson, who now lives near Chicago, teaches therapeutic horseback riding at NSCD. But she’s already proven she can hang with the best in her sport. Johnson finished 10th in the super-G at the World Championships in Lillehammer.

Kyle Taulman
Discipline: Sitting category, Super-G
Hometown: Golden
Taulman picked up skiing after his family relocated to Colorado when he was a toddler (his mother introduced him to the sport by placing him in a padded bucket attached to a bi-ski). Nearly two decades later, the 19-year-old will be making his Paralympics debut in Beijing following a 12th place finish in the super-G at the 2021 Alpine Skiing FIS World Cup in January. A versatile athlete, Taulman played wheelchair tennis for the University of Colorado Boulder and competed at the 2021 collegiate championships.

Thomas Walsh
Discipline: Downhill, Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, Super Combined
Hometown: Vail
Perhaps born with a special brand of competitiveness, Walsh began skiing at age two, was ski racing by age five, and was awarded a Junior National Triathlon Championship title at 10. But skiing briefly took a backseat when he was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma. “When the day came that I was allowed to ski again, something sparked inside of me,” Walsh said. “When I am skiing, it is me and my skis, the snow and nature that free me from the entire world, except for that precise moment.” His ambition hasn’t let up: He also finished fifth in slalom, seventh in giant slalom, and 13th in super-G at the 2018 Paralympic Games.

Sled Hockey

Ralph DeQuebec
Position: Defenseman
Hometown: Denver
DeQuebec, a retired member of the U.S. Marine Corps, received a Purple Heart for his service after an explosive device injured his legs during a 2012 tour in Afghanistan. While recovering from the resulting bilateral above-knee amputation, another soldier suggested DeQuebec try sled hockey, according to Sports Illustrated. The idea ended up being a good one, both for DeQuebec and for Team USA. During the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, DeQuebec recorded three assists and three points, helping his team win gold.

Malik Jones
Sport: Forward
Hometown: Aurora
Just 19 years old, Jones makes his Paralympic debut next month as the youngest competitor from Colorado. He’s skated with the U.S. Development Sled Hockey Team, which holds training sessions and competes in international sled hockey competition, for three seasons. Though it’s his first Paralympics, Coloradans might recognize Jones: When he was a teenager, he was a member of the Colorado Avalanche sled hockey team that played at Coors Field in 2016 following the NHL Stadium Series game.

Snowboarding

Zach Miller
Discipline: Snowboard Cross, Dual-Banked Slalom
Hometown: Silverthorne
This Denver-born snowboarder, who claims Silverthorne as his hometown, makes his Paralympic debut this year. But the 23-year-old doesn’t lack experience. Miller participated in the World Championships in 2019 and 2021, earning a bronze medal in snowboard cross and a gold medal in dual-banked slalom. Born with cerebral palsy, Miller discovered snowboarding through the hospital sports program at Children’s Hospital Colorado. The Paralympics aren’t his only big plans this year. In the summer, Miller will manage an all-adaptive e-sports program at Copper Mountain, where he’ll organize events and train adaptive gamers to compete in international tournaments.

Mike Minor
Discipline: Snowboard Cross, Banked Slalom
Hometown: Frisco
Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Minor is returning to the Winter Games after winning two medals in PyeongChang in 2018: a gold in banked slalom and bronze in snowboard cross. The 31-year-old began snowboarding at age seven and later worked as a lift attendant on Copper Mountain. Soon after, he was asked to compete for Adaptive Action Sports by members of the nonprofit. He eventually made his international debut in 2015 at a World Cup event.

Wheelchair Curling

Pamela Wilson
Hometown: Westminster
The oldest competitor from Colorado, 66-year-old Pam Wilson is making her Paralympic debut this year. Even though she didn’t begin curling until 2010, she’s racked up accolades, including taking home the gold at the World Championships in 2021. A natural athlete, Wilson was a member of the track and field team for the Pan American Games and was inducted into the Wheelchair Sports USA Hall of Fame. When she’s not competing, Wilson works as a doctor at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

(Read more: This Local Adaptive Athlete Wants to Do a One-Legged Backflip on Skis)