100 days out from 2026 Olympics, athletes who visited Austin wish winter counterparts good luck
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Wednesday marks an Olympics prep milestone: 100 days out from the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina.
KXAN and its media partners have covered stories of athletes across America.
While Central Texas doesn’t scream “winter sports,” a former Baylor track athlete who now lives in Temple is trying to land one of the two or three coveted Olympic spots on the Skeleton team.
Over the last few months, four 2024 Olympians and Paralympians have visited Austin for various reasons.
In August, beach volleyball players Kristen Nuss and Taryn Brasher played a professional league stop at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park. They’ve represented Austin in the league as the Austin Aces the past two years. Their tour stop was about a month after devastating floods ripped through the state, and Nuss and Brasher donated part of their proceeds to flood relief.
“You just want to give love and support in any way that you can,” Brasher said.
Their advice to athletes gearing up for Italy: recognize the work you’ve put in, give yourself grace and have fun.
“Win, lose, we have your back,” Nuss said. “We are there supporting you, it is something you will remember forever.”
Paralympic track gold medalist Ezra Frech has partnered with Austin-headquartered healthcare company Ottobock on a campaign aimed at improving travel experiences for people with disabilities.
“Break down some of these barriers and basically make the world more accessible for this community,” Frech told KXAN while in town to speak at an event related to the campaign.
And to his winter counterparts, “from the bottom of my heart, I wish you guys nothing but the best. I know what it’s like to compete on that level, the buzz is out of this world.”
Paralympic silver medalist Ali Truwit had her film “Stronger Thank You Think” air at the Austin Film Festival. It details her story about how she overcame losing her leg in a shark attack two days after her college graduation, and channeled her energy into two Paralympic silver medals and a platform for advocacy.
“It is so special,” Truwit said. “I really believe in the power of storytelling to help heal myself and others and to get to premier at the Austin Film Festival and have them shine a light on ‘Stronger Than You Think’ is just so special.”
The 2026 Opening Ceremony is set for Feb. 6.
