{"id":514045,"date":"2026-03-10T01:22:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T01:22:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/514045\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T01:22:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T01:22:09","slug":"us-rock-star-paralympic-skier-wins-silver-for-his-late-twin-brother","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/514045\/","title":{"rendered":"US \u2018rock star\u2019 Paralympic skier wins silver for his late twin brother"},"content":{"rendered":"

CORTINA D\u2019AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) \u2014 Patrick Halgren, the self-proclaimed \u201crock star\u201d of the Milan Cortina Paralympics<\/a>, said he could feel the presence of his late twin brother in his silver medal-winning Para alpine ski run on Monday.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe made this happen for real. He is the ski god and he has blessed me with speed today,\u201d Halgren said of his brother Lucas Sven Halgren.<\/p>\n

\"PatrickPatrick Halgren, of the United States, celebrates on the podium after winning the silver medal in the alpine skiing men’s super-G standing at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Monday, March 9, 2026.(Emilio Morenatti | AP Photo\/Emilio Morenatti)<\/p>\n

Lucas Sven died in a motorcycle accident in New Zealand in 2016, three years after Patrick nearly died and lost most of his left leg in another motorcycle accident.<\/p>\n

Patrick has been plastering blue-and-yellow stickers that read \u201c SvendIt<\/a> \u201d around Cortina d\u2019Ampezzo, a play on \u201csend-it,\u201d which is Patrick\u2019s mantra on life and a reference to his brother who went by Sven.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s the reason I\u2019m here. I\u2019m just a vessel to cram love and combat hate down your throats. He inspired me to live life, but life is fragile. You can die,\u201d Patrick said. \u201cIt\u2019s all for him. It\u2019s for my family. It\u2019s for the people that have struggled. He\u2019s dead. I\u2019m here living, talking to you guys. I\u2019m going to have who knows how many women and champagne after this. He liked that, too, but he doesn\u2019t get that, and I do. I recognize that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Halgren celebrated in front of his parents, Peter and Kathy, which he said was \u201cpretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut also, it sucks not having Sven here, so ups and downs,\u201d the 33-year-old Halgren said after winning his first medal in his second Paralympics appearance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey went to Tijuana, Mexico, for their honeymoon 50 years ago. They picked up their dead kid in New Zealand, and they\u2019ve watched me win the Paralympics at the most beautiful ski valley in the world,\u201d Halgren told the Olympics website. \u201cThis is a surreal moment for them. This is an experience that will create a memory lasting a lifetime and such a good moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Halgren said it was Sven who steered him to Para alpine skiing after the 2013 crash that nearly killed him and resulted in the above-the-knee amputation of his left leg.<\/p>\n

\u201cI died myself. I was in a coma for a month. I died four times,\u201d he said. \u201dThey used a defibrillator to start my heart. Blood transfusion. I get it, and I\u2019m lucky that I have that because I know what it\u2019s like. Not many people do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now it\u2019s hard not to miss Halgren, and not only because of his long braids that are dyed red, white and blue. Always entertaining and joking with those around him, the outspoken American has taken on a showman personality at the Games.<\/p>\n

At the podium ceremony, he performed an air guitar solo using his crutch. He said it was just \u201canother Monday\u201d for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am a rock star,\u201d he added. \u201cI always wanted to be this guy, Jim Brown, he was my idol. He was a professional football player, played lacrosse at Syracuse. I did both those sports, and he retired at the peak of his career and became basically the first Black action movie star. I always wanted to be him, and now I am him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Halgren said he \u201clearned to be un-irritable, un-embarrassable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about being vulnerable in this life. It\u2019s about trying things and failing. It\u2019s OK to be embarrassed. It\u2019s OK to look weird.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he talked to the media, Halgren was congratulated by nearly every rival that passed by. He was second to Switzerland\u2019s Robin Cuche in the men\u2019s super-G standing.<\/p>\n

\u201cMedals don\u2019t mean anything to me. The love from all the people supporting me is what means anything to me,\u201d he said. \u201cI can feel, I can literally feel all the people who have ever given me well wishes and \u2018Thanks\u2019 and \u2018Good lucks.\u2019 I can feel them loving me and they\u2019re the reason I won.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou celebrate the victories the same as the defeats. I\u2019ve been blessed to have to develop my character over the last 11 years, losing my leg and could either roll over and die, or I could become the greatest Patrick Halgren on Earth, and that\u2019s what you\u2019re seeing.\u201d<\/p>\n

His future plans?<\/p>\n

\u201cI would like to dominate the Earth in every category with one leg.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anything else? \u201cMy horse is thirsty, I\u2019m out.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP Winter Paralympics: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/paralympic-games<\/a><\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n