Gratitude is the Competitive Edge for 2026 Paralympic Silver Medalist, Kate Delson

There is a feeling Kate Delson keeps coming back to, one that has followed her from the park at Mammoth Mountain all the way to a Paralympic podium in Italy.

Gratitude.

It’s her competitive philosophy.

"There are different feelings that could take over your emotions. Anger can fire you up in not the best way. But gratitude? Gratitude can just take over your whole being. Being in a state of gratitude is something I really try to live by." – Kate Delson

For Delson, who just claimed silver in the women's snowboard cross at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games and now turns her focus to the women's banked slalom, that mindset was built one begged chairlift ride, one stubborn coach, one “betting-on-herself” moment at a time.

The Kid Who Wouldn't Take No For an Answer

Delson was born with a significant weakness in her right leg, missing several key muscles. She got on skis at age 3 through Access Mammoth, an adaptive snow sports organization, and loved it. But, her entire family snowboarded.

So, armed with a strong sense of self-belief, she set out with a determination to start snowboarding herself.

"I had to beg and beg," she says, laughing. "They weren't used to putting people with disabilities on snowboards back then. But one volunteer finally said: just let her try."

That was all she needed.

"The first day, I hit five different chairlifts, went on more runs than I'd ever done before. I was just in love with it." - Kate Delson

Building Confidence One Trick at a Time

By age 8, Delson had found her way to the terrain park. She was drawn to it instinctively. But progress was slow, and doubt had a way of creeping in.

"A lot of the excuses I would put on myself were like: I have a disability. I could probably do this, but not in the same way as everyone else. I'm not sure if these tips are actually going to work on me because of my leg."- Kate Delson

Then COVID hit, and everything changed.

Delson was a sophomore in high school when she convinced her father to take her to Mammoth for what she told him would be two weeks. "In my head, I was like…it's gonna be more than two weeks. I can figure it out."

Was it ever. She talked her way onto the Mammoth Snowboard Team mid-season, despite the team never having taken on an adaptive athlete before.

"As soon as I got coaching and peers who were also pushing themselves in the park, my progress skyrocketed. And with that, also my confidence. That's when those doubts started fading away." – Kate Delson

Within two to three weeks of joining the team, she landed her 360 and never looked back.

Taking Bets on Delson

Ask Delson about the people who shaped her career, and she doesn't hesitate. Coaches. Parents. Teammates. A volunteer at Mammoth who said just let her try.

"People placed their bets on me, and that's why I'm here."

Her first coach would study video footage with her to diagnose what wasn't working, give her tough love when she needed it, and invest hours into figuring out how her body specifically needed to move.

"He would work so hard to figure out how I could get certain tricks," she says. "I love moguls now because of that."

Initially, her parents “were skeptical of the whole snowboarding thing, until I started competing at a higher level. But they could sense the passion in me. Because of that, they were like: go for it. Keep up with your school but follow your passion."

When she wanted to take a gap year instead of continuing her education, they said yes. That year became her first successful season on the Europa Cup. The bet paid off.

"My parents are the reason I snowboard. The reason I'm outdoorsy. The reason I have the opportunities I have today. I could not achieve any of these dreams without them." - Kate Delson

The Hidden Weight of the Go-Go-Go Life

Silver medals and highlight reels tell one story. Delson is honest about another.

"Being an athlete, as well as just being a human being…we face struggles. I get sad, I get excited, I get nervous, I get anxious. It's definitely hard." – Kate Delson

But there's a subtler challenge too, one that any high-performer will recognize.

"When the season is go-go-go, your mind is always focused on something. And then as soon as that stops…you've been ignoring all your feelings for so long, and they can all come up at once. The question is: are you actually okay? Or have you just had enough momentum to keep you distracted?" – Kate Delson

She says this season has tested her more than most.

"It's really important to take a pause sometimes. At the end of the day, what matters to me most is living in gratitude. I’m grateful to get to do this. I’m grateful for my competitors. If they weren't there, I wouldn't be able to do my sport." – Kate Delson

Coming off her silver medal in snowboard cross and preparing for the women's banked slalom, Delson carries this self-awareness on the snow and off the snow.

She’ll compete on Saturday in the Women’s Banked Slalom event at the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games. As always, with gratitude.

ABOUT THIS SERIES

I'm Amy Wotovich, and I am on a mission to interview 100% of Team USA's 2026 Olympic and Paralympic athletes to create the most comprehensive mindset record of a single Games cycle. What do elite competitors actually believe about pressure, identity, failure, and joy? Kate Delson is one of hundreds of athletes sharing their unfiltered answers. Follow the journey!