[3] The Salt Lake Games featured 92 events across four sports: alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country, and ice sledge hockey.

[2] Australia was represented by six male alpine skiers: Peter Boonaerts, Bart Bunting, Michael Milton, Scott Adams, Cameron Rahles-Rahbula, and Mark Drinnan.

[5] Salt Lake 2002 was also the first organizing committee to completely integrate the planning for both the Olympics and Paralympics, lowering costs and using the same infrastructure for both Games.

[5] "With such a high demand for tickets and a swarm of accredited media around the venues, the winter spectacle pushed the Paralympic Movement to new heights and created further awareness for athletes with a disability in sport, as well as in society.

[8] The study also analysed the themes and underlying representations surrounding the dissimilarity in coverage of the Paralympics by interviewing selected media personnel who only attended the Olympics.

[8] On March 7, 2002, the Salt Lake 2002 Paralympic Winter Games officially began with the Opening Ceremony at Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium to a sold-out audience of 46,000.

[9] Among the performers were Wynonna, Donny Osmond, pop-classical violinist Vanessa-Mae, country singer Billy Gilman and Stevie Wonder.

[9] Eric was guided by his dog as he ascended the podium, passing the torch on to two of America's best sit-skiiters – Chris Waddell and Muffy Davis, who together lit the Paralympic cauldron.

[13] Considered by ancient Indian tribes to be one of the most powerful of all animals, the otter was chosen as the mascot of the Salt Lake Paralympics as an embodiment of vitality and agility, and a representation of each Paralympian's spirit.

Boonaerts has a low degree of paraplegia; he broke his back at a hotel in Manly when a drunk guest fell from the pub balcony on top of him.

[4] Although initially struggling on the mountains, Bunting became an Australian national team member in 1999, and in 2000 he won his first gold medal in the giant slalom and downhill events at the Switzerland 2000 World Championships.

Bunting's best friend and guide Nathan Chivers skis a couple of meters ahead of him, speaking to him through the microphone in his helmet and the loudspeaker on the back of his bum bag.

Sport is a large part of Adams's life, and despite his disability he often partakes in golf, tennis, squash and mountain biking.

[4] Cameron Rahles-Rahbula (born 9 July 1983 in Camperdown, Victoria), a former physiotherapist, was diagnosed with a rare type of bone cancer called osteosarcoma at twelve years old and had to get his left leg amputated above the knee after ineffective chemotherapy when he was fourteen.

[4] Two weeks after his amputation, his children's cancer support network placed him in a ski camp at Mount Buller as part of his rehabilitation program.

He learned how to ski through camps held by the NSW Sports Council for the Disabled, and in 2000, he competed at the Canadian Nationals and placed in the top five for all of his events.

[4] Athletes who are physically disabled are given special equipment designed to suit their individuals needs, including orthopedic appliances, and single and sit skits.

[19] Super giant slalom, or super-G, is also a speed event, but unlike in downhill, racers are required to turn slightly to pass through wide sets of gates on their way down the mountain.

In slalom events, athletes must ski between gates which are placed closely together, making agility and technique more important than speed.

[24] A fast-paced and contact heavy competition, Ice Sledge Hockey is played by athletes with a disability in the lower half of their body.

[24] It follows the rules of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) with modifications; athletes wear double-blade 'sledges' instead of skates, which are designed so that the puck can pass beneath them.

[24] Team officials were: The 2002 Australian Winter Paralympic team had an extensive list of sponsors, including the Australian Sports Commission, Energy Australia, Fforesite, the Motor Accident Authority, Telstra, Workcover NSW, Workcover Safety Victoria, TAB, Clubs NSW, Yakka, and Rogen.