Ted Winter's early years were spent in western New South Wales before he moved with his family to Port Kembla in 1920. After finishing his schooling, Winter trained as a teacher and worked in small schools in New South Wales. In the years following World War II, he completed an economics degree at the University of Sydney. In the 1950s and 1960s, Winter taught science at Manly Boys' High School.
Winter was also a pole vaulting champion who represented Australia at the 1938 Empire Games. He was New South Wales champion on seven occasions and Australian champion twice.
Winter was regarded as one of the most active ski tourers, mountain men and mountain poets in the high country of the Snowy Mountains. He engaged in a conservation effort to save the mountain huts because age and vandalism had destroyed some of them. (Since 1971, volunteers of the Kosciusko Huts Association have restored many of the huts, which are used as resting places and provide shelter to skiers and walkers.)
