Jonathan Arias (skier)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Salvadoran |
| Born | 16 October 1997 La Libertad, El Salvador |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Para cross-country skiing |
| Disability class | LW10 |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Paralympic finals | Milano–Cortina 2026 |
Jonathan Arias (born 16 October 1997) is a Salvadoran para cross-country skier who competes in the sitting classification LW10. He represented El Salvador at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, becoming one of the first athletes from the country to compete at a Winter Paralympic Games.
Biography
Arias was born on 16 October 1997 in La Libertad, El Salvador. When he was 14 years old he was caught in the crossfire of a shootout between rival gangs, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. After spending nearly a month in hospital and a long recovery period at home, he initially struggled to adjust to life with a disability before eventually becoming involved in adaptive sports.[1]
During rehabilitation Arias began playing wheelchair basketball and later moved to San Salvador where he played on the same team as fellow athlete David Chávez. After the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted their sporting activities, Arias returned to La Libertad and supported his family by selling shaved ice from a cart while using his wheelchair.[1]
In 2021 Arias met American coach Rob Powers, who helped launch a Para sport programme in El Salvador through the organisation OneTeam El Salvador. Arias initially joined a Para surfing programme and competed internationally, placing in the top ten at the 2021 World Para Surfing Championship in Pismo Beach, California. He later transitioned to Para cross-country skiing alongside Chávez after being introduced to the sport by Paralympic champion Dan Cnossen.[1]
Because El Salvador has no winter sports infrastructure, much of Arias’s training has taken place on the beach at Playa El Cocal, where athletes use sit-skis on sand to develop strength and technique. The demanding conditions helped prepare him for competition on snow, even though he had limited experience skiing before competing internationally.[2]
Arias competed at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships Trondheim 2025 with Chávez, helping El Salvador secure a qualification slot for the 2026 Winter Paralympics. After initially missing direct qualification due to an accident that prevented him from competing in a key race, he later received confirmation of participation from the International Paralympic Committee.[3][2]
At the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Arias competed in the men’s sprint sitting and men’s 10 km interval start sitting events in Para cross-country skiing. In the sprint qualification he finished 36th with a time of 2:56.79, while Chávez finished 27th in the same event, marking the first participation of Salvadoran athletes in a Winter Paralympic competition.[4][5]
References
- ^ a b c Schapiro, Rich; Nicole Acevedo (2026-03-07). "Shot by gang members, these Paralympians are making history". NBC News. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
- ^ a b "Milano Cortina 2026: El Salvador makes history in Para cross-country". International Paralympic Committee. 2026-03-09. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
- ^ Valiente, Josué (2026-02-16). "Jonathan Arias es el segundo salvadoreño en clasificar a Juegos Paralímpicos de Invierno". El Gráfico. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
- ^ "Jonathan Arias – Athlete details". Olympics.com. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
- ^ Heredia, Henry (2026-03-10). "David y Jonathan: la histórica incursión de El Salvador en los Juegos Paralímpicos de Invierno". Infobae. Retrieved 2026-03-12.