At 19 years old, Brett Bolton already has plenty of international sled hockey experience under his belt.
Bolton made his debut with the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team in 2022 and has gone on to play in nine international tournaments. That includes representing the U.S. at the World Championships in 2023 and 2024.
Despite a long run on the team, Bolton didn’t make the final roster for the 2025 World Championship. Not playing in the tournament allowed him to focus on his conditioning in the summer, which led to a triumphant return to the team in the Para Hockey Cup this past December.
In that tournament, the forward scored a hat trick in the semifinals before recording the game-winning goal in a 2-0 victory over Canada in the championship game.
Now, he’s in Italy for the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Milan and Cortina. Bolton scored twice in Team USA’s 13-0 victory over Germany on Monday.
“I feel like it will be one of the coolest experiences I’ll have, just to rep Team USA,” Bolton said. “I’m excited, but I’m coming in with no expectations, so anything better than that is all I could ask for.”
Originally from Rockledge, Florida, Bolton moved to Colorado in the fall of 2024 and regularly works out with U.S. teammates Malik Jones and Declan Farmer. They skate at the University of Colorado Boulder, where Bolton is a student.
Bolton is a sophomore at Colorado double majoring in finance and accounting, with a minor in leadership.
That academic life, coupled with being an international-caliber athlete, is tough to tackle, and he’s the first to admit he doesn’t have everything completely figured out.
“It is a lot of math,” he said of his finance and accounting majors. “A lot of it is communicating with your teachers and making trade-offs when needed. Fortunately, I have teachers that completely understand. They get it, and at the end of the day, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“You have to stay disciplined. I enjoy school, but it’s no easy feat.”
His leadership minor ties directly into his time on and off the ice for Team USA.
Once again, the key is to be disciplined, and he said he’s cognizant of the fact that his leadership style has changed over time.
“I would characterize my style of leadership as just coachable and someone who listens before acting,” he said.
He remained coachable after not making the world roster last year, which is something David Hoff, head coach of the U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team, took notice of.
“Brett was dealt a tough hand a year ago when we released him prior to the world championships,” Hoff said. “He used that negative event as motivation and has been very good for us this year.”
Bolton said, “It was pretty devastating, came kind of a shock to me, but it was kind of a wakeup call for this year. It needed to happen. It was one of the lowest moments in my athletic career, but it fueled the energy for this season.”
Bolton thinks discipline is about building good habits, something he and his teammates have in abundance and should benefit them at Paralympics.
Bolton is one of four players who is making their Paralympics debut in Italy. On a team full of talented players who have trophy cases full of medals, he’s ready to embrace his strengths and take advantage of the ice time he gets in Milan.
“On this team we have a bunch of talented players who score ridiculously,” Bolton said. “It’s relying on good habits, making sure you’re driving the center of the lanes and capitalizing on every single opportunity. Just being able to capitalize on moments where teams are unsuspecting is where I find a lot of success.”
Playing in Italy has him a long, long way from his roots on the Space Coast Sled Hockey program in Cocoa Beach, on the eastern shore of Florida.
Throughout his journey to becoming a Paralympian, Bolton has relied on his discipline and work ethic to reach this moment.
“It doesn’t happen in a day, and I know this sounds cringy, but you have to want it more than anyone else in the world,” he said. “You’re going to have to make a lot of sacrifices. All those efforts compound over time. Something you can’t teach is drive and ambition, how bad they want it compared to the next person.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
