SI LifeStyle

Brenna Huckaby Has Officially Qualified for the Paralympics: Here’s What to Know Ahead of the Games

After a roughly two-week break following the Olympic Closing Ceremony, the Paralympics will begin in Italy on March 6.

Cara O’Bleness

Brenna Huckaby
Brenna Huckaby / Al Bello/Getty Images

With the Paralympics on the horizon, Brenna Huckaby is preparing to pack her bags for Italy, as the professional snowboarder has qualified for the Milan Cortina Games.

A two-time Paralympian, Huckaby has three gold medals and a bronze to her name. She secured her first two golds during her debut in PyeongChang in 2018, followed by a gold and bronze at the 2022 Games in Beijing. And with the competition in Milan Cortina on the horizon, the 30-year-old athlete looks to defend her title as the most decorated female Paralympic snowboarder in history. She also has the opportunity to make history as the athlete with the most gold medals in her sport.

“I’m currently tied for the most golds in Paralympic snowboard history, so it would be really cool to break that, but also it’s outside of my control, so we’ll see what happens,” Huckaby recently told CBS affiliate WANE-TV.

How are the Paralympics different from the Olympics?

On Thursday, Feb. 19, Huckabky shared a quick Paralympic explainer on Instagram in the form of a reel in order to help fans understand the difference between the Olympics.

“Paralympics means parallel to the Olympics,” she wrote atop her video. “They’re always 2 weeks after the closing ceremony of the Olympics, at the same venues the Olympics were held. The Paralympics has its own opening ceremony on March 6, which will be centered around celebrating inclusion. So take a break for 2 weeks from your Olympic high and get ready to cheer again for team USA in the Paralympics!”

Huckaby, who lost her right leg below the knee at age 14 to osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, turned to snowboarding as a form of rehabilitation—and never looked back. In addition to her Paralympic achievements, the Louisiana native is a five-time World Champion and a proud mom.

Plenty of Huckaby’s followers on the app chimed into the comments section of yesterday’s post to cheer her on ahead of the Games.

“Can’t wait to watch you girl🙌🔥,” content creator Gabi Gibson applauded.

“I am so excited to watch you again in a couple(ish) weeks 👏👏👏!!!” another fan wrote.

“Let’s gooo!!!! 👏🔥,” someone else added.

When are the 2026 Winter Paralympics?

The Opening Ceremony for the 2026 Winter Paralympics will be held on Friday, March 6 at 12 p.m. ET. The competition, which includes Para sports like Alpine skiing, ice hockey, snowboarding and curling, runs through Sunday, March 15, when the Closing Ceremony will take place.

Find a full schedule of events here.

How to watch the 2026 Winter Paralympics

The Games will be broadcast on NBC and CNBC, while they can also be streamed in the U.S. through Peacock. Click here for a full breakdown of how and where to watch.

More sports news

feed

Published
Cara O’Bleness
CARA O’BLENESS

Cara is a trending news writer/editor for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. A passionate writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, she loves storytelling and believes that words have the power to change the world. Prior to joining the team, Cara worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, Cara loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University's School of Journalism.

Home/News