Brenna Huckaby grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where her passion for sport began with gymnastics. She trained and competed seriously until recurring knee pain led to an unexpected diagnosis: osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer. At 14, Brenna underwent an above-knee amputation, a decision that reshaped her athletic future but did not take away her competitive spirit. 

Shortly after her surgery, Brenna was introduced to snowboarding on a rehabilitation trip to Utah. The mountains sparked something new in her. Within a few years, she made the life-changing decision to relocate from Louisiana to Utah to train full-time in the sport. 

Rising to the Top of Para Snowboarding 

Brenna’s commitment paid off quickly. She qualified for the U.S. Paralympic Snowboarding Team and made her Paralympic debut at the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, where she won gold medals in both snowboard cross and banked slalom. 

Four years later, at the 2022 Beijing Paralympics, Brenna faced unexpected challenges. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) restructured the women’s snowboarding events, removing the classification in which she had previously competed. Determined not to be left out, she led a campaign for greater inclusion and ultimately secured the right to compete against athletes with less severe impairments. Her persistence paid off: she won gold in banked slalom and bronze in snowboard cross, proving once again that she belonged at the highest level. 

By 2025, Brenna had accumulated an impressive record across World Championships: 11 medals—5 gold, 3 silver, and 3 bronze. 

Advocacy Beyond the Snow 

Brenna has become more than an athlete—she is a leading voice for disability inclusion and representation. She co-founded Culxtured, a media collective spotlighting the stories and brands of para athletes, ensuring their voices reach broader audiences. 

In 2018, she made history as the first amputee to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue, a milestone that challenged stereotypes about athletes with disabilities and expanded the conversation around visibility in sport and media. 

Family and Community 

Away from competition, Brenna is a wife and mother of two daughters, Lilah and Sloan. Alongside her husband, Tristan Clegg, a former professional snowboard cross athlete, she balances training and family life. Together, they spend winters snowboarding and summers mountain biking—living out their shared love of sport as a family. 

The Role of CAF 

Brenna’s rise was supported in part by CAF grants, which provided essential resources for equipment and competition expenses. Those grants ensured that she could train and compete at the elite level, ultimately leading to her place on the U.S. team and her Paralympic success. 

Career Highlights 

• Paralympic Games
  – 2018 PyeongChang: Gold (Snowboard Cross, Banked Slalom)
  – 2022 Beijing: Gold (Banked Slalom), Bronze (Snowboard Cross) 

• World Championships (2015–2025)
  – 5 Gold, 3 Silver, 3 Bronze across Snowboard Cross, Banked Slalom, and Dual Banked Slalom events 

• Other Milestones
  – First amputee featured on Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover (2018)
  – Co-founder of Culxtured, a media platform for para athletes 

Supporting Athletes Who Break Barriers 

Brenna Huckaby’s journey from a cancer diagnosis at 14 to becoming a multi-time Paralympic gold medalist and advocate for inclusion shows how sport can create possibility and change perceptions. CAF is proud to have supported her along the way, ensuring she had the resources to compete at the highest levels. 

You can help fuel the next chapter for athletes like Brenna—by supporting CAF programs that provide equipment, training, and travel grants for athletes with physical disabilities around the world.