Utah Paralympic snowboarders among 4 USA medalists at Milan Cortina in banked slalom

Womens Para Snowboard Banked Slalom podium. Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke

CORTINA, Italy — Kate Delson and Noah Elliot won two gold medals for Team USA, and Mike Shultz and Brenna Huckaby won two bronzes in the Milan Cortina Paralympic banked slalom on Friday.

Delson, who lives in Salt Lake City and skis for Team Utah snowboarding, added to her medal count after getting a silver in Milan Cortina in the Para snowboard cross. Her Athlete Village roommate, Park City skier Saylor O’Brien, was at the snowboard event to cheer her on. Delson was born with a congenital disability effecting the muscles in her right leg.

In the finish area she told reporters, “If it wasn’t for Team Utah Snowbird Sports Education Foundation, two of our awesome coaches are here today, letting us train gates early in the morning in Utah, we wouldn’t have so much progression.”

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All photos: TownLift // Michele Roepke

The ‘we’ she spoke of is Huckaby, who has also skied for Team Utah Snowboard when she lived in Salt Lake City before moving to Montana with her husband and two daughters. She volunteers for Sisters in Sports. Huckaby had her leg removed, above the knee, at age 14 following a cancer diagnosis. 

“I have been the only above-the-knee amputee woman snowboarder out here the last two Games, and if the IPC isn’t going to change that, then I’m gonna figure out something else myself to get more above the knee amputee women in this sport,” Huckaby said.

The two women had smiles ear to ear and referred to this moment as being that much more sweet sharing the podium together as great friends.

Shultz had to have his leg amputated above the knee in his home state of Minnesota after a snowmobile accident. He had previously announced that the Milan Cortina Paralympics, and today, specifically, was going to be the last race of his career. So winning his fourth Paralympic medal was bittersweet, and fans could see that in his emotions. He discussed spending all summer, along with Huckaby, working out at the U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Center of Excellence in Park City. “When I’m in there, I’m never treated like an athlete with a disability. I’m just treated like an athlete, it’s great,” he said. 

Steamboat Springs’ Elliot, who had his leg amputated at age 15 due to cancer, has won gold before in a previous Paralympics. This event had been moved up a day in the Paralympic schedule, no small endeavor, as spring snow got softer by the day and rain was in the forecast. In his interview, he addressed the good job done by organizers and course maintenance workers. “I was able to lay down some fast times since the course just got firmer and firmer as it kept getting salted. So, really good stuff,” he said.  

On this day, it paid off big time that the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Press Officers carry around with them a fat stack of brand new, folded, in-the-wrapper American flags fully intended to be utilized for the opportunity to be wrapped around the shoulders of as many athletes competing as possible, and/or extras to be tossed up into the stands to any and all families of Paralympians who want to drape it over a railing or wave it proudly.

Two Italians stood atop the podium at the events too so it was festive atmosphere all around.