Brody Roybal aiming for fourth gold medal at 2026 Milan Cortina Paralympic Games

2 days ago

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PHOENIX – Navigating high school and social circles takes priority for many 15-year-olds.

Not Brody Roybal.

Before he even secured his driver’s license, Roybal was more focused on winning a gold medal while representing his country at the Olympics than the topics that typically occupy a teenager’s mind.

Twelve years later, who can blame him? The U.S. has built a sled hockey dynasty, winning five Paralympic gold medals, including the last four in a row. And the Americans are favored again at the 2026 Milan Cortina Paralympic Games, taking place from Friday to March 15.

Roybal has been integral to the U.S. dominance, but as a member of the Team USA sled hockey team at the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Games, he was just 15 years old, playing against the best sled hockey players in the world, some of whom were twice his age.

“It was pretty wild,” Roybal said. “Being in high school and going out to Russia was pretty crazy, but a great experience. It was all due to the great guys that were on the team; we had some amazing veterans. They kind of showed me the ropes of how to be an adult and navigate the world.”

The Northlake, Illinois, native and University of Arizona alumnus was born a congenital bilateral amputee without a femur in either leg. After finding sled hockey at a young age, he instantly fell in love with the sport.

“The community was a big part,” Roybal said. “Being on a team with a bunch of friends made it really appealing, but also the physicality and speed of the sport drew me in. It’s so freeing out there.”

Although Roybal was the youngest skater on Team USA in 2014, he was familiar with his teammates – and they knew him well, too. As a member of the RIC Blackhawks in the Midwest Sled Hockey League, Roybal participated in the 2011 and 2012 USA Hockey Sled Classic Championships, building relationships with players who would be his future teammates battling for gold medals.

“I was kind of lucky in the fact I had played with them for a long time,” Roybal said. “There’s a couple of different leagues around the U.S., but the Midwest is probably the biggest and strongest league. They’d always kind of treated me like a little brother, but as I spent more and more years on the team, I just became more of a teammate to them.”

With more than a decade of experience in the Paralympic Games, Roybal has delivered in the clutch for Team USA several times on his way to winning three consecutive gold medals in 2014, 2018 and 2022.

After winning tournament MVP honors at the 2018 Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, Roybal continued his excellence with 12 points in 2022 in Beijing. With 279 career points on Team USA, placing him in second place all-time, Roybal has played a major role in the American’s trio of gold medals.

“He’s been our X-factor in 2018 and 2022,” Team USA skater Jack Wallace said. “I feel like in the big moments, Brody has always come up clutch. He’s scored a few gold medal winners at World Championships before, so when he’s playing well, the team is playing well.”

Roybal knows well what it feels like to be the young skater on a team full of veterans, so the 28-year-old has quickly become the player to whom several of the teenagers on Team USA’s 2026 roster look.

With four skaters making their Paralympic games debut in Milan, Roybal has taken a leadership role, playing an important part in their growth on and off the ice.

“They’re very mature for their age,” Roybal said. “They’re very receptive to all the advice we give them. I think they’re doing a great job, and I’m excited for them to be able to get over to Milan.”

When he’s not on the ice, Roybal’s community outreach remains strong. He and his girlfriend, Menecis Garriga, have a TikTok account (@menecisandbrody) with 2.9 million followers, where they post trending videos. From their first post in May of 2020 to now, the account has turned into another way for the two to bond, strengthening their relationship.

“It was her idea initially,” Roybal said. “She said she posted a video one time in the early days of TikTok, and I think people were drawn to the relationship that we have and the content we were putting out. It just kind of blew up right away.

“The first video ended up getting 9 million views or something, and we were just shocked. And we just put our heads down and grinded to post content every day and keep it lighthearted and fun.”

As a bilateral amputee, Roybal hasn’t let it affect his ability to spread positivity on TikTok. While raising awareness about interabled relationships, Roybal spoke about how he can help break down barriers for people with disabilities through his online presence.

“Having representation on all levels for everyone is super important,” Roybal said. “Being able to see yourself in someone else when you typically wouldn’t, as someone with a disability, is really important.”

Roybal is one of four players on Team USA’s roster chasing a fourth gold medal, which has been achieved by only one other sled hockey skater – Roybal’s captain in the last three Paralympic Games, Josh Pauls.

With a mix of seasoned veterans alongside young and eager talent, Team USA has positioned itself to compete for a fifth straight gold medal, as the team’s first test is March 7 against host Italy in the group stage.

“Brody has had his fair share of challenges in the last couple of years,” Wallace said. “I think he’s put in so much work on and off the ice to get back to where he is now. He’s a top-of-the-world player, so I think winning that fourth would mean the world to him and his family.”