Arendz, Wilkie lead Canada's powerhouse Para nordic ski team into Paralympic Games

Decorated skiers Mark Arendz and Natalie Wilkie lead Canada's Para nordic ski team into the Milan Cortina Paralympic Games.

Canada's 15-skier team bound for the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in Fiemme Valley was announced Friday in Calgary.

The Paralympic Games run March 6-15 after the Olympic Games in Italy.

Arendz of Hartsville, P.E.I., owns a dozen Paralympic medals in both cross-country skiing and biathlon, including two gold, and heads to his fifth Winter Games.

Wilkie of Salmon Arm, B.C., is a triple Paralympic champion with seven career medals heading to her third.

Canada's nordic skiers claimed 14 medals in Beijing in 2022 and a record 16 in 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea.