Playing it cool at full speed

Long before joining the Army Reserve, OCdt Darcie Morton mastered the art of skiing with a rifle on the International Biathlon Union World Cup circuit.

The 26-year-old brought Olympic experience to Exercise Coolshot at Mount Hotham in August, where she co-coached the women's development camp before training and competing for Army alongside personnel from across the services.

Biathlon combined cross-country skiing with 22-calibre rifle shooting, requiring competitors to control their breathing and concentration while racing at a high heart rate.

“We ski a loop and come into the range and shoot five shots to hit five targets,” OCdt Morton said.

“If you miss one of those shots, then you have to do an extra 150 metres’ skiing.”

OCdt Morton has skied since she could walk and followed her father, Cameron Morton, into the sport.

He competed at the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games, while OCdt Morton’s brother later coached her for the Olympics, and her younger sister competed on the international junior circuit. 

Darcie and Cameron are the first Australian daughter/father qualifiers in the Winter Olympic Games.

“It’s like very much a family affair, I guess,” OCdt Morton said.

She began competing internationally as a teenager, representing Australia at the Youth Winter Olympic Games, World Junior Championships, Asian Winter Games, three World Championships and on the World Cup circuit.

OCdt Morton became the first Australian biathlete in a decade to qualify for the 2026 Milano – Cortina Winter Olympics, but did not learn she had secured a place until shortly before competition.

“I didn’t know I’d qualified until two to three weeks out,” she said.

“So, it was quite a stressful season, but there hadn’t been an Australian before me for 10 years that had qualified for biathlon.”

During Exercise Coolshot, OCdt Morton helped coach the women’s development camp, which included participants who had never skied before.

The group completed intensive ski training and used both laser biathlon rifles and .22 rifles before OCdt Morton joined the Army team for several races.

“It was really good to get to know them and then show them my sport as well and see the development over such a short period of time,” she said.

The Army team went on to win every team category against Navy and Air Force.

OCdt Morton joined the Army Reserve after completing a medical science degree and spending much of the previous four years training overseas.

She said Army service offered new challenges, leadership opportunities and a way to give back to Australia.

“I really feel like I need to give back to my country, my friends and family a little bit more,” she said.

OCdt Morton plans to commission and establish her Army career before returning to international competition.

“The goal is to qualify for and compete at French Alps 2030,” she said.

She encouraged anyone interested in biathlon to apply for Exercise Coolshot or try cross-country skiing.

“It’s a really incredible team and [a] way to get a little glimpse of the sport,” OCdt Morton said.

“It’s an endurance sport and it’s really closely linked to the Army as well in that aspect of the shooting and the resilience.”