Youngest Member of U.S. Paralympic Snowboard Team Takes Home Silver Medal
Kate Delson made her Paralympic debut before her 21st birthday. She came away with a medal.
“I've got a smile on my face right now!” said Delson. “This represents so much and I'm so proud to be here representing my country and my family and friends that are here and at home that have been supporting me from the very beginning. Their support has brought the confidence that I get to wear now and I’m so excited to show them this medal and put it over their necks.”
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Delson won a silver medal in the women’s Lower Limb 2 (LL2) classification in snowboard cross in Cortina. The youngest athlete on the team navigated the course like a veteran. The San Diego native now lives in Park City, Utah. She’ll go for a second medal in the banked slalom race Saturday, March 14, 2026.
"I'm feeling like a champion with my friends and my family behind me," Delson told Axios in an interview. "It's such a celebration of the sport, and to get a medal on this big stage and keep up the consistency has been so special. It feels so awesome to have a crowd watching the races."
Delson was born with most of the muscles in her right leg missing. She learned to snowboard at age 6 through the Access Mammoth adaptive sports program. Later, she joined the Mammoth Snowboard Team, the same team that has turned out Olympians like Chloe Kim, Bea Kim, and Maddie Mastro, and became the first athlete on the team with a disability.
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Delson’s Team USA teammate, and one of the best para snowboarders of all time, Brenna Huckaby finished in sixth place in the LL2. Fellow American Jackie Hamwey finished in seventh place in her own Paralympic debut.
On the men’s side, American Noah Elliott also won silver in the LL1 field. The Paralympic medal is the third of his career, and now he has a complete set: one gold, one bronze, and one silver. Mike Schultz finished sixth in what will be his final Paralympic Games.
In the men’s LL2 contest, Keith Gabel finished in fifth place, while fellow American Zach Miller finished in sixth. Joe Pleben finished in eighth place after a harsh fall in the small final.