Marte Goossen

Skiing became a whole new adventure for me thanks to Sofie Noiron, who introduced me to sit-skiing. I’m so grateful to Kyra Visser and Anvasport for giving me my first opportunities on the slopes en François Stander who believed in my skills and allowed me to train with his WeSki team on the slalom in Belgium.

One of the most memorable experiences was in Livigno, where I had the pleasure of skiing under the guidance of the incredible Davide JJ Cusini and his team, and I learned my first giant slalom moves following the cool tips from Piotr Batko.

From that moment, it became serious again. I got a call from the Belgian (Wallonian) Federation / Ligue handisport francophone, inviting me to train with Jérémie, Rémi, Cezar, Max from the Belgian paraski team. After training and showing what I could do to Stéfan Sazio, now former coach from the Belgian team, I was accepted onto the team! 

That same year, I also had the chance to train with Geertje Derksen from G-Force and was invited to join a few days of training with the Global Para Race Team by Ralph Jegler. The first big challenge came during the festival Handi Neige in Peisey, where I raced in the French championship together with the fabulous Jesper Saltvik Pedersen and the lovely María Martín-Granizo

Even in the summer, training never stopped—carving turns on the glaciers of Les 2 Alpes, Tignes, and Val d’Isère. In autumn, we leveled up with incredible sessions alongside Stefan on the breathtaking glaciers of Saas Fee and Kaprun, where we also kicked off the very first paraski.be demo team training.

Fast forward to 2025: I had the incredible opportunity to train with the Dutch para-team in Leogang and Reiteralm, pushing my skills to the next level. I stepped up as a forerunner in my first GS and SL FIS competition in Leogang, gaining invaluable experience and a deeper understanding of my performance.

Then came the French Cup in Chamonix—a cool moment. This time, I officially raced and did a 2nd place in Slalom, while in GS, I proudly claimed the spot as the first sitskier. An unforgettable experience that fuels my drive for what’s next!

In August ’25, the journey began again. This time, Christian Gauthier took on the role of head coach for Team Belgium, and we launched the season with several training camps in Saas-Fee, Kaprun, and Hintertux. Sharing the mountains once more with Team China made it an especially meaningful start to the season.

At the same time, G-sport Vlaanderen opened its doors to para winter sports, providing us with the support needed to prepare toward FIS races, Europa cup, World cups, and the Paralympic pathway.

December ’25 was not only the month of my birthday, but also the moment I travelled to Resterhöhe for my classification. G-sport Vlaanderen stood beside me and a warm thank you goes to Sofie, Tim, Anneleen, Benjamin, Sophie and Zachary for all their efforts and support. Unfortunately, it did not go as we had hoped. After additional paperwork, late hours also during the weekend and sadly missing several races, the classification was postponed by a month, making January 4th the true start of my season.

In Winter Park, Colorado, the classifiers completed the process and assigned me an LW12-1 classification. YESSS. The incredibly welcoming host of the Winter Park Open, Erik Peterson, immediately called out, “What time is it?” “It’s … GO tme!” — and at that moment, everything became real.

Racing Giant Slalom and Slalom in Colorado, of all places, I was able to bring home bronze and silver medals, along with my first official FIS ranking. Those results provided the necessary points for GSV to initiate the bipartite procedure for Cortina. A truly meaningful way to start the year.

Just one weekend later, I was already back at the start in Matrei, racing Giant Slalom and Slalom once again — this time taking two gold medals. It was great to see the Austrian team back in action, and we enjoyed every moment on and off the course.

Team Belgium was not yet complete, but Jeremy Pregardien also claimed gold in Giant Slalom. Belgium truly dominated the race weekend.

From there, it was a rush to Rokytnice nad Jizerou in the Czech Republic. Our journey turned into a challenge when the car broke down, making the trip far from smooth. Despite that, the experience was unforgettable.

The conditions were extremely cold, and the early mornings made for a surreal and memorable Super-G experience. Warming up on a dark slope before sunrise was a truly special moment. The races themselves went very well, with a gold medal (including good FIS points) in Slalom, a gold medal in Giant Slalom (But with a very high race penalty…), and an immediate love for the speed and flow of the Super-G.

The long journey was absolutely worth it. Rokytnice is a beautiful place, with mountain villages that feel almost fairytale-like, reminiscent of an alpine theme park tucked into the landscape.

And now? More racing till the moment we know more about the paralympics. Step by step working on my FIS points to get them low enough to also enter the Worldcup stage in GS and SG …

Life has a way of surprising us, and while my journey in acrobatic gymnastics had to come to an end, it opened the door to something entirely new: sit-skiing. I’ve learned that a disability doesn’t define what’s possible – it’s just a new way to approach challenges. For me, it’s not about focusing on what I can’t do, but embracing what I can do. Whether it’s on the slopes or in everyday life, I’m ready for a future full of new adventures, goals, and excitement, with or without medals. I refuse to let my disability become a limitation, and I hope to inspire others to see their potential, no matter what obstacles they face. This is just the beginning, and I can’t wait to see where the next adventure takes me!

I want to give a heartfelt thank you to everyone who supports me along the way. From introducing me to new sports and guiding me through training to believing in my abilities—each of you makes a difference. I’m so grateful to be surrounded by amazing people who keep me pushing forward, no matter the challenges.