| James Paterson | |
| Fullname: | James Lawrence Paterson |
| Nationality: | Australian |
| Birth Date: | 2 January 1970 |
| Birth Place: | West Wyalong NSW |
James Lawrence Paterson, [1] is an Australian Paralympic skier who has cerebral palsy.[2]
Paterson was from Terrigal, New South Wales and a marine mechanic for Halvorsen Boats.[3] After the 1994 Games, Paterson thanked the Terrigal community and his employer for supporting his overseas preparation.[3]
At the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Paralympics, Paterson competed in four events and won a silver medal in the Men's Downhill LW9 event and a bronze medal in the Men's Giant Slalom LW9 event.[4] In 1996, at the IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships, he won a silver medal and two bronze medals. At the 1998 Winter Paralympics, he was team captain and competed in four events. He won a gold medal in the Men's Downhill LW1,3,5/7,9 event and a bronze medal in the Men's Slalom LW9 event Between 1997 and 1999, he was an Australian Institute of Sport Athlete with a Disability scholarship holder.[5] His last major international competition was the 2000 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships, where he won a silver medal in the Men's Giant Slalom LW1,3,7,7,9. He announced his retirement in June 2001 citing his lost passion and the cost of competing on his family and finances.[6]
In 2000, Paterson received an Australian Sports Medal.[7] In 2008, he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in recognition for being a medallist at Paralympics and Disabled World Ski Championships.[1] He has been inducted into the Central Coast Sporting Hall of Fame.[8]
Paterson is married to Martina, and has two children, Emily and Cameron.[9]