Paralympic skier Patrick Halgren has transformed personal tragedy into triumphant inspiration at the Milan Cortina Paralympics, honoring his late twin brother through both his athletic performance and a deeply personal movement. Upon arriving in Italy, Halgren began placing distinctive blue-and-yellow “SvendIt” stickers throughout Cortina d’Ampezzo—on chairlifts, water bottles, and even restaurant bathrooms—as a tribute to his brother Lucas Sven Halgren, who died in a 2016 motorcycle accident.
The phrase “SvendIt,” a playful twist on the skiing term “send-it,” embodies Halgren’s approach to life and sport. His brother Sven had initially encouraged him to pursue adaptive skiing after Halgren lost his left leg above the knee in his own motorcycle crash in 2013. Now competing in his second Paralympics across five standing division events, Halgren carries his brother’s spirit both literally and figuratively—with the words tattooed across his abdomen.
Halgren’s journey to Cortina represents a victory in itself after a season marked by multiple crashes. His parents traveled from Connecticut to witness his competitions, which he’s approaching with characteristic flair—planning to dye his hair red and blue to complement his blonde braids for different events.
The athlete leads an unconventional lifestyle, splitting time between his Ford camper van and Colorado Springs home. During ski season, he parks near Winter Park Resort, where he announces races for children, assists with mountain maintenance, and trains. Halgren has also expanded into filmmaking, contributing to “Us and Them,” a project showcasing adaptive skiing from athletes’ perspectives.
Reflecting on his brother’s legacy, Halgren shared: “I’ve got a lot of really good friends messaging me and saying, ‘He’d be so proud of you.’ When there’s a ray of sunshine on the mountain, I’ve got to believe that it’s him up there showing me the way.”
The globally distributed “SvendIt” stickers—found from Norwegian slopes to Colorado weather stations—represent more than just memorial; they symbolize Halgren’s philosophy: “Basically, if you’re going to do something, you’ve just got to go for it. Go have some fun and live your life. Have something to talk about later.”