According to the China Disabled Persons' Federation, China's para snow sports entered a rapid development phase in 2016, bolstered by systematic support covering talent cultivation, venue construction, upgrades to training systems and hosting of competitions.

Since then, the number of winter Paralympic athletes nationwide has grown from fewer than 50 to over 1,000, and the number of technical officials has increased from zero to more than 100. The number of categories the delegation participates in has grown from just two to all six major Winter Paralympics events.

A key milestone was the opening of the National Ice Sports Arena for People with Impairments in late 2020, "which ends the longtime embarrassment of training in borrowed facilities during empty time slots".

Training has also become more diverse, integrating summer and winter sessions with both domestic and overseas programs, while a number of domestic para winter sports competitions are now held regularly, according to the federation.

The effort also includes greater public engagement. For instance, a winter sports season for people with disabilities, launched by the federation in 2016, attracts more than 300,000 visits annually.

For para cross-country and biathlon skiers, Fu said that they now have access to two year-round ski centers in the provinces of Jilin and Hebei, as well as overseas venues in Chile and Argentina for out-of-season training.

"My coach used to be in charge of everything — waxing the skis, driving us around, managing recovery and psychological therapy. And as an athlete, my mind wasn't just on the race. I was also preoccupied with tiny details, like whether a screw on my sit-ski might be loose," Fu said.

At the 2026 Winter Paralympics, Fu said China's para cross-country and biathlon team arrived with a support team of more than 40.

"Each athlete wears a heart rate watch or chest strap. Through a monitoring system, we calculate the optimal training heart rate and communicate with them in real time to ensure they can ski within a scientific heart rate zone," he said. "We also conduct blood lactate and morning urine tests regularly and adjust training plans based on their physical condition."

In winter para sports, equipment is essential. It determines whether athletes can navigate rough terrain at high speed, protect themselves in high-impact events, and push their limits.

Fu said the rapid development of China's manufacturing industry and long-term cooperation with a domestic company have turned his vision of equipping athletes with quality, homegrown pieces into reality.

"Taking sit-skis for example, we used to rely on equipment imported from Norway or Russia," he said. "Over the years, we have gradually switched to domestically made ones — first made with stainless steel, then later more advanced materials like aluminum and titanium."

At para biathlon competitions, athletes race different distances around a looped course and stop between laps to shoot. In preparation, Fu said the team trained six days a week. "In the evening, we also arranged for them to handle the rifle to maintain a feel for shooting," he said.