5G base stations are seen at the National Alpine Ski Center in the Yanqing competition area for the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on December 14, 2021. Photo: Shen Weiduo/ GT

It is rare to see athletes join the tense Olympic Games together with their family members. But that's not the case for the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics, at which there were many scenes of para-athletes competing in the events side by side with their parents, brothers and sisters.

On the first day of competition, Johannes Aigner from Austria won the championship in the men's downhill VI in the Para alpine skiing, and on Sunday, another Paralympian, Neil Simpson from the UK, obtained a gold medal in the men's Super-G vision-impaired. 

Besides winning the gold medal, Johannes and Neil have another thing in common - both of them competed with their families, The Paper reported on Wednesday.

Johannes comes from a special sports family in Austria - the Aigner family. He entered the contest together with his elder sister Veronika Aigner and twin sister Barbara Aigner, who was also one of the flag bearers for the Austrian delegation at the Winter Paralympics.

"In the Aigner family, skiing is not just a hobby, it's a passion," says Johannes, whose parents' enthusiasm for alpine skiing ensured he and his sisters would "fly down hills"   at very young ages.

Johannes, 16, and Barbara are both participating in the Paralympics for the first time. He became the first male Para alpine skier to win a world championship title in the multi-classification parallel event when he claimed gold at the 2021 World Championships in Lillehammer, Norway. Barbara also won gold in women's visually impaired giant slalom at the event.

"When I watch Hans [Johannes's nickname] play, I always get nervous, even more nervous than when I do the competition myself," Barbara said. Johannes feels the same as Barbara, "I am usually not the guy who gets nervous easily, but when I watch Bessie [Barbara's nickname] play, I am," he said.

Neil's guide Andrew Simpson is his elder brother. On the dangerous alpine skiing track, Andrew was the "eyes" of Neil who is visually impaired, said The Paper.

"Because we are brothers and have spent a long time together, so we both understand what the other needs to know [in the competition]," Andrew revealed in an interview.

"Alpine skiing events are big challenges for me, but I enjoy the racing process as my brother is here by my side," said Neil. 

Also led by her family is the 57-year-old Belgian player Linda le Bon, who won fifth place in the Alpine Combined for the Visually Impaired on Tuesday. Born in 1964, Le Bon has participated in alpine skiing since 20 and was diagnosed with a visual impairment in 2012, The Paper said.

 "This is my first Paralympic Winter Games," said Le Bon, who started training for the visually impaired alpine skiing event with a guide about 15 months ago. "The track is really difficult, but I really enjoy the game."

Le Bon's guide did not make it to join the Games in China with her, so her interim guide at the Beijing 2022 was her daughter. 

"We have teamed up very well and it's getting better every day," said Le Bon.