Jack Berry

Quick Facts

• Specialty: Para Nordic Skiing
• Son of Cooper Berry, a captain with Missoula Rural Fire Fighters, and Kate Berry, a neonatal nurse practitioner
• Enjoys mountain biking, gravel cycling, skiing and outdoor activities in Montana's mountains

Biographical Information

Berry's Paralympic journey began following a life-altering diagnosis at age 10. In July 2018, what appeared to be a simple broken leg was revealed to be osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive bone cancer. He underwent treatment at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, including rotationplasty surgery that resulted in the amputation of part of his right leg above the knee. The specialized procedure allowed Berry to remain active by preserving function. Cancer returned to his lungs in 2020 and again in 2021, requiring additional surgeries and chemotherapy. He has been cancer-free since 2021.

During his recovery, Berry found inspiration from Paralympic Nordic skier Dan Cnossen, a former Navy SEAL and Paralympic medalist who lost both legs while serving in Afghanistan. Cnossen visited Berry after he returned home from the hospital and shared one of his Paralympic gold medals, planting the seed for Berry's Paralympic aspirations. The two developed a close friendship, and Berry would eventually join Cnossen as a teammate on the U.S. Paralympic team.

Berry initially focused on adaptive cycling under the mentorship of Paralympic gold medalist Meg Fisher, a fellow Missoulian and multi-time para-cycling world champion. The pair were featured in the 2022 documentary film "High Road," which chronicled Berry's training for a gravel bike race and highlighted Fisher's advocacy for creating Para-Cycling categories at off-road events. Berry organized a charity bike race at Marshall Mountain in September 2024 to raise funds for the Children’s Oncology Group, an organization devoted exclusively to childhood and adolescent cancer research.

Berry's transition to Nordic skiing accelerated rapidly. He began cross-country skiing with a prosthetic leg in 2019 and joined a club ski team the following season. BethAnn Chamberlain, U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing development coach, introduced him to biathlon and invited him to join the development team. He trained at camps in Park City, Utah, Canmore, British Columbia, and multiple locations across Europe, including an underground ski tunnel in Oberhof, Germany.

The 2024-25 season marked Berry's breakthrough on the international stage. He won a classic cross-country skiing sprint race at a continental cup event in West Yellowstone, Montana, in January 2025, defeating Paralympic veteran Dani Aravich. Berry made his world cup debut at the Paralympic test event in Val di Fiemme, Italy, in early 2025, competing in both biathlon and cross-country disciplines. He finished seventh in the cross-country 10km classic and gained valuable experience racing against the world's top para Nordic athletes.

Berry graduated from Hellgate High School in 2024 and took a gap year to train full-time. Throughout his journey, he received tremendous support from the Missoula community through the "Jack's Army" movement, with hundreds of signs planted in yards across the city. His father's colleagues at Missoula Rural Fire Fighters Local 2457 covered shifts and donated sick leave during Berry's treatment, exemplifying the community support that sustained the Berry family. Berry continues to pursue his goal of becoming a Paralympian in both Nordic skiing and cycling, following in the footsteps of multi-sport Paralympic champion Oksana Masters, who has excelled in both winter and summer Paralympic sports.