Patrick Halgren (33) has been named the rock star of the Paralympic Games, with the American alpine skier noted for his effervescence. The American took silver in the standing Super-G event and spoke about the hardships he went through that reshaped his existence.
Patrick Halgren is one of the characters of the Milan-Cortina Paralympic Games. He was billed as the rock star of this race, and the American took on that characterization. “They're right,” said the silver medalist holding his walking crutch like a guitar on the podium.
Patrick Halgren on the podium at the Paralympic Games PHOTO Guliver/GettyImages
He lost his left leg in a motorcycle accident in 2013. His brother Lucas Sven Halgren was also involved in a serious motorcycle accident three years later and died from his injuries.
In 2013, Patrick was running late for work and was in a hurry to get there. He failed to turn the motorcycle and went off the road. “I thought, 'I'm going to die,'” he recalled. But there was a farm with a field and he turned that way. “I was like, 'Oh, thank God. I'm probably going to make it.' I flew into the field and that's the last thing I remember,” he told The Associated Press.
There were rocks around a pole, and he hit the pole at about 130 km/h. He got stuck between the motorcycle and the pole. The main artery in his pelvis was severed. Paramedics used a defibrillator to revive him before rushing him to hospital. They saved his life, he was in a coma for a month, but they could not save his left leg, which was amputated above the knee.
Encouraged by twin brother to ski
After leaving the hospital, he tried to continue doing things that bring him joy. His twin brother, 20 minutes younger, was a volunteer in an adaptive sports program at Mount Snow in Vermont. He encouraged Patrick to try paraskiing.
First, however, he wanted to see what wheelchair basketball was like, but quickly gave up because he didn't want to risk injuring his other leg. But as he got stronger, the desire to try skiing returned. It wasn't easy for him at first, having numerous accidents, but at one point he told his father that he wanted to become the best one-legged skier in the world.
Patrick Halgren flying on the Paralympic Games PHOTO Guliver/GettyImages
Three years after his accident, he lost his brother, an avid skier and glacier guide, also in a motorcycle accident. From then on he took every ray of sunshine on the mountain as a sign that his brother was watching over him.
Asked after taking the podium at the Paralympics if he felt his brother's presence, Pater said: “Very much so. He got me interested in weather conditions and everything, that's where it all comes from. Whether it's good weather or whatever makes me think of him, I do. He really made it happen. He's the god of skiing and he blessed me with speed.”
Patrick Halgren: “Medals mean nothing to me”
His parents, Kathy and Peter, were among the spectators who watched their son's silver run. This is only their third trip outside of the US. “They honeymooned in Tijuana, Mexico 50 years ago. They recovered their dead child from New Zealand and watched me win a medal at the Paralympics on the most beautiful ski slope in the world. It's an unreal moment for them. It is an experience that will remain in their memory for a lifetime and such a beautiful moment”he said, in his second Paralympic appearance at olympics.com.
But Patrick emphasized: “Medals mean nothing to me. The love of everyone who supports me is what matters to me. I can feel, I can literally feel all the people who have sent me well wishes and thanks and good luck. I can feel that they love me and they are the reason why I won.”
His mother added: “I told him, 'We don't care about the medals. We are so happy to be here with you.'”
Patrick Halgren: “I feel like I have a superpower”
To take his brother everywhere he walks, Patrick sticks stickers with the inscription “SvendIt” everywhere he passes – a tribute to his brother and the words that guide him in life. “It means having courage, being aware of yourself in the face of adversity, and that's what I do with 'Svending' for him, for Sven.”
All the emotions in Cortina after Patrick Halgren won silver for his first Paralympic medal 🥹🥹 pic.twitter.com/fxiFu4q4Mg
— US Ski & Snowboard Team (@usskiteam) March 9, 2026
Halgren leads an adventurous life, splitting his time between his Ford RV and home in Colorado Springs, Colorado. During the ski season, he parks his trailer near Winter Park Resort, where he announces races for the kids, helps fix fences, works out and relaxes. He calls himself “the sheriff of the mountain and I thank everyone who voted for me,” he jokes.
Recently, he also ventured into the world of cinema. He worked on a film called “Us and Them,” which presents adaptive skiing from the perspective of athletes like Halgren. “We just wanted to make a short film about people with disabilities doing interesting things. I feel like I have a superpower right now, that of fighting hate with love and passing it on to those who helped me get here.” Patrick told The Associated Press.
