Jonathan Arias

Jonathan Arias (born 16 October 1997) is a Salvadoran para cross-country skier who competes in the sitting classification LW10. He represented El Salvador at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, becoming one of the first athletes from the country to compete at a Winter Paralympic Games.

Biography Arias was born on 16 October 1997 in La Libertad, El Salvador. When he was 14 years old he was caught in the crossfire of a shootout between rival gangs, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. After spending nearly a month in hospital and a long recovery period at home, he initially struggled to adjust to life with a disability before eventually becoming involved in adaptive sports.

During rehabilitation Arias began playing wheelchair basketball and later moved to San Salvador where he played on the same team as fellow athlete David Chávez. After the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted their sporting activities, Arias returned to La Libertad and supported his family by selling shaved ice from a cart while using his wheelchair.

Arias competed at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships Trondheim 2025 with Chávez, helping El Salvador secure a qualification slot for the 2026 Winter Paralympics. After initially missing direct qualification due to an accident that prevented him from competing in a key race, he later received confirmation of participation from the International Paralympic Committee.