Brenna Huckaby competes during the Women's Banked Slalom SB-LL1 at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Games on March 16, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea.
Here’s a look at what’s been going on in the world of U.S. Para snowboarding for the last few weeks in the news and on social media…
Social Media Roundup
U.S. Para snowboarding fans are by now used to Brenna Huckaby’s positivity and energy, and she’s maintaining that even in the face of what sounds like a harrowing move with her family to Maine.
The Huckaby family move began Oct. 9, but only made it two-and-a-half hours down the road, a drive that included two flat tires, a fishtailing trailer, garbage flying off the car, and finally the trailer catching fire. To top it off, while waiting for repairs, Huckaby’s youngest daughter hurt herself jumping off the hotel bed, prompting a trip to the hospital to make sure all is well. But through it all, the two-time Paralympic gold medalist is keeping a positive attitude.
“For the first time in the middle of absolute chaos and uncertainty I’ve been 100% at peace that everything is going to be okay. Maybe it’s the self care and meditation I’ve been doing or maybe it’s the medication,” Huckaby joked on Instagram. “… We would absolutely welcome any prayers or good vibes you can send our way so we can get back on the road safely.”
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Huckaby also participated in International Day of the Girl on Oct. 11. Huckaby posted a photo of herself at 14, just before she underwent surgery to have her leg amputated as a result of osteosarcoma.
“The best advice I received back then was my inner being was what made me beautiful,” Huckaby wrote. “What makes me beautiful is my smile, my joy, and my passion. I to this day remind myself that my worth and beauty is far beyond what my outer body looks like.”
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Paralympic medalist Amy Purdy returned home from Boston where she was undergoing surgery. Her Instagram feed reflects her gratitude at being back home in Colorado, gazing at the trees (even if she’s not able to walk among them yet), soaking in the hot tub and spending time with her husband Daniel and their golden retriever, Huckleberry. Huck of course is the real star of the show with his own Instagram account.
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Paralympic medalist Brittani Coury made headlines back near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic for the essential work she was doing as a nurse. Months later, the pandemic is still going strong and so is Coury, who on Oct. 1 posted a picture of herself in her personal protective equipment, still hard at work.
“I’m so blessed to love what I do,” Coury wrote. “I love being a nurse and can’t explain how honored I am to represent my country on a snowboard!”
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Viral skateboarding star Nathan Apodaca captured America’s imagination with his chill vibe, riding along listening to Fleetwood Mac, sipping on juice, without a care in the world. Paralympic gold medalist Mike Minor is the latest to try and capture that vibe for himself. Minor’s version included his dog Dinky going along for the ride. Dinky, of course, has an Instagram account, too.
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There wasn’t any Fleetwood Mac involved with world championship medalist Zach Miller’s latest skateboarding video, but it’s hard to beat the scenery as they roll through Copper Mountain, Colorado.
In The News
World Para Snowboard spoke with the crew behind the mad science of building a Para snowboarding course at Norway’s Hafjell ski resort in Lillehammer. Hafjell will be the site of the snowboarding competition for the 2021 World Para Snow Sports Championships. Lillehammer will be the first time that Alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing and snowboarding will be contested at a single world championships. It will also serve as a qualifying event for the Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. The world championships will take place Feb. 6 to 20, overlapping the time period that Lillehammer hosted the 1994 Olympic Winter and Paralympic Winter Games, long before snowboarding was even a Paralympic sport.
