Allan Corona will represent Mexico in cross-country skiing at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, a journey that began at the U.S.-Mexico border and eventually led him to Norway. Corona, 35, was born in Mexico City and grew up in Tijuana and San Diego. He spent much of his youth skiing recrea tionally in Southern California while attending Otay Ranch High School in Chula Vista. “I grew up at the border, finished high school at Otay Ranch, and my dad would take us to Big Bear and Mammoth to do winter skiing,” Corona said. He now lives in Norway, where he competes professionally in cross-country skiing after transitioning from a lifelong background in triathlons. Corona’s Olympic path did not come from the mountains, but from a series of life changes that reshaped his athletic career. “I met my wife, who is Norwegian studying in Oklahoma, then we moved to Tijuana, where I developed as triathlete and eventually became a coach,” Corona said. “But when it was time to move to Norway with my wife and two kids, I got into cross-country skiing, which is a super demanding sport, like triathlons.” Although he spent years training in warm climates, Corona adapted to Norway’s freezing temperatures and intense winter conditions, shifting his focus to another endurance sport. “I had to learn from zero, from scratch,” Corona said. “I had the stamina to stay on the skis, and I fell in love with the sport and became very passionate and decided to be a professional skier.” With just a few years of experience in cross-country skiing, Corona qualified for the Olympics after competing in the Nordic World Championships in Trondheim, Norway. He finished 37th, a result that secured his Olympic spot for Mexico. “I did put resources and time into this, and after years of grinding, looking for sponsors … I had not gotten any sponsor in Norway, but thankfully, I have one now in Mexico … and I’m still trying to understand all this,” Corona said. “It has been a result of trying different things and not victimizing myself that I’m in a cold, dark place.” Corona will compete in the 10-kilometer cross-country skiing event and hopes his story encourages others to pursue their goals at any stage of life. “Being in the Olympics and being able to carry our flag, it is a big honor, and hopefully I will represent my country properly,” Corona said. His Olympic debut is on Feb. 13. Events will air across Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, USA Network, CNBC and NBC. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less