With a Maltese father and a Canadian mother, Shannon Galea was immersed in sport from a young age. Her athletic journey began in softball, where she played professionally across six countries, earning multiple Canadian national and European Cup titles. Beyond competition, she played a key role in developing softball within Malta.
A multi-talented athlete, Shannon also competed at collegiate level in squash, rowing, and track and field, and went on to coach and teach physical education. Remarkably, she is the first Maltese female athlete to represent Malta in both Summer and Winter European Championships.
Her foray into sliding sports came later in life—but with unstoppable momentum. Shannon was drawn to skeleton, the thrilling Olympic winter sport where athletes race head-first down icy tracks at speeds exceeding 130 km/h. The intensity, speed, and focus it demanded resonated deeply—and a new sporting chapter began.
Malta in Her Blood: The Journey Begins
Shannon’s Maltese roots run deep. Growing up in Canada, she remembers her father and three uncles sharing stories of how they were once approached by the Maltese government to form a bobsleigh team for the 1988 Winter Olympics—an opportunity that ultimately didn’t materialize.
In 2020, Shannon decided to revive and realize that dream. She co-founded the Malta Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation and collaborated with the Malta Olympic Committee to gain official recognition from the sport’s international governing body, the IBSF. By the end of that year, Malta had formally joined the world of sliding sports—with Shannon as its first official athlete.
A Groundbreaking Journey
Shannon’s rise hasn’t gone unnoticed. In January 2021, she debuted for Malta at the North American Cup in Lake Placid, finishing 8th in her first-ever skeleton race. A year later, she made headlines again as the first Maltese athlete to compete at the European Skeleton Championships, racing down the historic track in St. Moritz.
In the 2023 season, she earned Malta’s first-ever podium in an international sliding event—finishing third overall in the North American Cup circuit. That season saw her climb to #39 in the world rankings, cementing her status not just as a pioneer, but also gaining a World Cup quota spot. Last season Shannon battled through competitions in the USA, Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, and Latvia.
While most countries have decades of infrastructure and state support, Shannon is doing it the hard way: racing part-time, self-funding much of her journey, sacrificing Christmases and family events and carrying the flag of a country better known for sailing than sledding.
The Road to the Olympics: February 2026
The next goal is clear: qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
Between November 2025 and January 2026, Shannon will represent Malta in another series of international World Cup events to determine whether she will fly the flag at the Winter Olympic Games. It is a heart-stopping, high speed journey for Shannon as she twists and turns towards the ultimate dream.
Shannon must finish the 2025–26 season ranked in the top 55 globally, earning a ‘quota’ spot through the international qualification system. It’s within reach, but only with consistent racing, coaching, equipment, and financial backing. That means travelling across continents, booking training at elite tracks, and competing against athletes backed by winter-sport powerhouses.
And while February 2026 feels so close, it can sometimes feel excruciatingly far, especially without the resources needed to sustain a full racing season. So, it’s fair to say that Shannon Galea isn’t just sliding down icy tracks, she’s climbing uphill against the odds, representing a warm island in a cold sport. In so doing, she’s not only chasing her own dream, she’s laying the groundwork for a generation of Maltese athletes to follow.
