CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — In an emotionally charged performance at the Milan Cortina Paralympics, American Para alpine skier Patrick Halgren secured a silver medal while paying powerful tribute to his deceased twin brother, Lucas Sven Halgren, whom he credits for his triumphant return to competitive skiing.
Following his super-G standing event on Monday, the self-described ‘rock star’ of the Games expressed his profound connection to his brother, who died in a 2016 motorcycle accident in New Zealand. ‘He made this happen for real. He is the ski god and he has blessed me with speed today,’ Halgren stated emotionally at the finish line.
The 33-year-old athlete’s journey to the Paralympic podium represents a remarkable story of resilience and transformation. Three years before his brother’s fatal accident, Halgren nearly died in his own motorcycle crash, resulting in the amputation of most of his left leg above the knee. He spent a month in a coma and technically died four times during his medical emergency.
Halgren has adopted ‘SvendIt’ as his personal mantra—a play on ‘send-it’ that simultaneously honors his brother who went by Sven. Blue-and-yellow stickers bearing the phrase have appeared throughout the Cortina d’Ampezzo venue.
‘He’s the reason I’m here. I’m just a vessel to cram love and combat hate down your throats,’ Halgren told reporters. ‘He inspired me to live life, but life is fragile. You can die. It’s all for him. It’s for my family. It’s for the people that have struggled.’
The outspoken American celebrated before his parents, Peter and Kathy, who had previously traveled to New Zealand to retrieve their deceased son’s body. Halgren noted the surreal nature of their experience: ‘They went to Tijuana, Mexico, for their honeymoon 50 years ago. They picked up their dead kid in New Zealand, and they’ve watched me win the Paralympics at the most beautiful ski valley in the world.’
Known for his distinctive long braids dyed red, white and blue, Halgren has embraced a showman personality at the Games. During the podium ceremony, he performed an air guitar solo using his crutch, quipping that it was just ‘another Monday’ for him.
Despite his silver medal finish behind Switzerland’s Robin Cuche, Halgren emphasized that medals hold little meaning compared to the support he receives. ‘The love from all the people supporting me is what means anything to me,’ he reflected. ‘I can literally feel all the people who have ever given me well wishes and ‘Thanks’ and ‘Good lucks.’ I can feel them loving me and they’re the reason I won.’
Halgren’s philosophy centers on embracing vulnerability and accepting failure: ‘It’s about being vulnerable in this life. It’s about trying things and failing. It’s OK to be embarrassed. It’s OK to look weird.’
When questioned about future ambitions, the Paralympian declared his intention to ‘dominate the Earth in every category with one leg’ before concluding with his characteristic humor: ‘My horse is thirsty, I’m out.’