Shifts Focus to Creating More Avenues for People with Disabilities to Participate in Sport 

Calgary, AB. (Feb 7, 2024) - After more than a decade on Canada’s National Ski Team, Mac Milton Marcoux (Sault Ste Marie, ON) announced today his retirement from competitive ski racing. In his career on the Canadian Para Alpine team Marcoux claimed five world championship titles, 52 World Cup podiums and six Paralympic medals. Marcoux retires as one of the most decorated CANskiteam alumni. 

Marcoux competed in the men's visually impaired category, with a series of guides beginning with his brother Billie Joe (BJ), followed by Robin Femy, Jack Leitch, and Tristan Rodgers. Marcoux made an instant impact on the world stage in a career that was highlighted at the 2017 World Championships where he won gold in four of his five races, and in his dominating 2019_20 season where he won all eight World Cup races he entered.  

“I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to represent Canada and to have been able to share this journey with such amazing people,” said Marcoux. “I started skiing with my brother and to this day those are some of my best times on snow! I’ve gone through a lot with my coaches, guides and teammates and I’m lucky to now be able to call them my friends.”  

“I am very fortunate to have had such a strong support system along the way, my family and friends have stood beside me the entire journey,” added Marcoux. “I can’t thank them enough for being there with me every step of the way. Most of all I have to thank my parents for all that they have done to support me and my athletic goals.” 

“When Mac and BJ burst onto the scene they were barely teenagers,” said Alpine Canada High Performance Director, and former teammate of Mac, Matt Hallat “They were just two kids having fun and skiing fast, and I’m grateful to have witnessed that Mac never lost these two characteristics.  I remember Mac chasing Robyn down the hill in Sochi, on a track that many of the men in the Olympics found challenging, flying farther in downhill than anyone and crossing the line in third. He was just 16 years old. It’s been a privilege as his teammate and his coach to share in this journey with Mac, there will never be another person like him, and he leaves a great legacy for those behind him to chase.”  

Marcoux’s energies now shift to making avenues to sport more accessible to all Canadians beyond paralympic sports. He recently completed his own film (link) and is seeking partnerships with brands that share his commitment to make sport more inclusive. In an effort to change the way people see adaptive athletes Marcoux (as contributor) and guide Tristan Rodgers (author) published the book “More than Meets the Eye” and the duo also became the first vision impaired team to tackle three iconic freeski lines at Whistler-Blackcomb (BC) a feat captured in the documentary film 'Blind Faith’ (link).   

“Tristan and I are shifting our energy to sharing stories on the fundamentals of teamwork and resilience applicable to sport, to business and to life. We’ve made the jump into the public speaking world to provide organizations with a deeper dive into our learnings from sport and to help create opportunities for adaptive athletes.” 

“Inclusion doesn’t just happen,” added Marcoux. “It doesn’t just work out. It takes some effort and a commitment, and I want to help figure it out. I am open to working with all stakeholders to ease apprehension, to show people that it’s less of a chore than they think. We need to make progress so more people can experience the joy of sport.” 

To contact Mac, to have him speak to your group or for prospective sponsors please contact him at mac.marcoux@gmail.com. For the book ‘More Than Meets the Eye: Stories about Trust, Communication and Teamwork’ please use this link. 

About Alpine Canada  

Alpine Canada is the governing body for alpine, para-alpine, and ski cross racing in Canada, as well as for Canadian ski coaches, providing education, certification, insurance, and compliance with the coaching code of conduct. With the support of valued corporate partners and donors, along with the Government of Canada, Own the Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Coaching Association of Canada, Alpine Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic, World Championship, and World Cup athletes to stimulate visibility, inspiration, and growth in the ski community.