If you caught this story in our March issue, you’re aware of amputee, snowboarder and Baton Rouge native Brenna Huckaby’s fight to compete in this year’s Paralympic games in Beijing. After her division of above-the-knee amputees was eliminated due to lack of participation, Huckaby (a two-time medalist from the 2018 games in PyeongChang) was determined to keep her Paralympic dream alive. Months of lawsuits and a viral social media movement finally resulted in her being able to compete “up”–aka against competitors at less of a disadvantage. And earlier this month, she finally reaped the reward of her hard-fought battle for inclusion when she won a bronze medal in snowboard cross.

“This medal means more to me than any gold I’ve ever won,” Huckaby wrote on her Instagram. “This medal symbolizes every person who’s been told ‘no’ but shows up and gives it their all anyway. This medal symbolizes people who have been purposefully shut down but chose to stand up and speak out for what is right. This medal is for the underdog who wants the opportunity to compete regardless of how hard the playing field is.”

 

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This year’s games may be over, with Huckaby back in the States with her husband and two daughters, but the impacts of Huckaby’s participation and success will surely leave a lasting mark on snowboarding and the Paralympics for many years to come, likely granting more athletes the chance to compete for their dreams.

“This is bigger than me,” Huckaby says in an Instagram post. “It always has been, and I am so blessed to have the opportunity to [re]present that.”

Read more about Huckaby in this story from inRegister’s March issue and this story from our February 2018 issue.