This Snowboarder's Gross Tradition Won Her Four Paralympic Medals

In Bustle’s The Pregame, we ask athletes about their pregame rituals. How do they get in the zone? What do they listen to? Do they have any superstitions before a big competition? Here, Paralympic snowboarder Brenna Huckaby shares her go-to warm-up, must-have playlist, and the one food that fuels her.

Brenna Huckaby has always been an athlete. Growing up in Louisiana, she was a competitive gymnast throughout her childhood, until she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at 14. The bone cancer that resulted in the amputation of her right leg just above the knee.

As part of her recovery, Huckaby went on a rehabilitation ski trip, where she learned how to snowboard. All it took was one ride down the slopes to know she had found a new passion, and soon after her family moved to the mountains. “That's where I fell in love with competing,” the 29-year-old tells Bustle. By 18, she went pro.

At 22, she won two gold medals the 2018 Winter Paralympics in PyeongChang, South Korea — one for snowboard cross and one for banked slalom. Four years later, Huckaby took home gold and bronze at the Winter Paralympics in Beijing, China. She also has five gold medals from the World Para Snowboard Championships.

Now, Huckaby is gearing up for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. To get ready, she’s been been dialing it in at the gym and paying attention to nutrition. “When you get to such a high level in sport, it's so hard to find those incremental growths,” she tells Bustle. But she says eating well helps her notice small improvements in her performance — ones that often make the difference between silver and gold.

Huckaby’s high-level nutrition knowledge also benefits her family, where she’s a mom to two young girls, Lilah and Sloan, and a cat mom to Mouse. Fittingly, she also stars in pet food brand Nulo’s Fuel Incredible campaign. “Everyone’s covered. We’re all eating good here,” she says.

Up next, Huckaby shares her pregame superstitions, go-to affirmations, and must-have skin care for the slopes.

What do you eat before snowboarding?

I make this very specific oatmeal. It's oat bran and PB2 powder, and sometimes I'll add chia seeds. It doesn't taste good, let me tell you, but I know it'll sustain me. I travel with all of these ingredients. It’s maybe a little bit neurotic, but at least I know I’m going to be fueled. I don’t recommend trying it, but if you do, add dark chocolate and cherries.

What’s your go-to warmup?

Before a competition day, which can last for hours with back-to-back events, I usually do a pre-snow workout. It’s just a lot of jumping to get my body prepared. Then I’ll do some laps on my snowboard.

Does the Paralympic team have any hype-up rituals?

We do partnered warmups on snow togethers, so tugging or rows where you resist against them, or jumps where they push you a little bit so that you get different forces. It naturally builds this motivated, “We got this, let’s go out there and crush it,” type of vibe. Sometimes we also do special handshakes, too, and that’s really fun.

Do you have any pregame superstitions?

This is gross, but I don’t change my socks. If I have a good day in the first competition, I will rewear my socks — not washed. So if we’re in Switzerland and we have four races throughout the whole week, I won’t wash them at all. It’s only if I have a bad day that they’ll get washed, sort of like a reset. There’s something to it. I can’t stop.

What are you listening to on the slopes?

I’ve learned through the years I need to be incredibly calm. Once I'm on snow, I like to listen to meditative, ambient sounds — spa music. It primes my brain to be in this meditative, calm state that I perform well in. It helps me befriend my nerves.

What’s going through your mind before you launch down a mountain?

I have two affirmations. The first is “CCC,” which is “calm, cool, collected.” I also remind myself, “It's not good or bad, it just is.” I usually will do that one after a run because, like any athlete and really anyone who wants to be good at what they do, it's easy to speak negatively about your performance.

How do you take care of your skin while spending so much time outside?

I'm always putting on sunscreen. People see it and they're like, "Oh, can I have some sunscreen?" and I'm like, "I got you." When the sun is shining, that reflection off the snow is so hard to combat.

I also do a thick moisturizer, like La Roche Triple Repair moisturizer so my skin is protected from the harsh elements. I don't want to do cosmetic procedures, so I want to take care of my skin now so I won't ever be tempted.

Will Mouse be watching The Games from home?

My family is coming with me, but Mouse will be home with a team of babysitters. I am so going to have them turn the TV on when I compete and make her watch.

This interview has been edited & condensed for clarity.