Longhorn Alum Strikes Gold at Paralympics
- Mar 17, 2026
University of Texas at Austin alum Jen Lee (B.S. '18) is returning from the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics — his final Games as goalie for the United States’ Sled Hockey team — with a fourth gold medal after the 6-2 U.S. victory over Canada in the Para Ice Hockey final.
The win also secured a record-setting fifth consecutive Paralympic title for Team USA and marked a historic sweep of all three 2026 hockey tournaments (Olympic men’s, Olympic women’s, and Paralympics) by the United States.
Lee’s path to a fourth gold medal in Milan, though, was as unique as his journey to the Forty Acres.
“My way is a little unorthodox ... I was actually a super-late college student,” Lee said. “I got accepted as a sophomore student at 28 years old.”
After graduating high school in 2004, Lee went straight into the U.S. Army, expecting to retire after a 20-year career. However, after returning from active duty in 2009, he lost his left leg in a motorcycle accident, ending his military career and opening the door to a new one that was much more unexpected.
During rehabilitation, Lee found his way to sled hockey — a sport he’d previously known nothing about — through a Department of Veterans Affairs physical therapy program in San Antonio. In 2015, at the age of 28, Lee was accepted as a transfer student to UT, where he later graduated from the College of Education’s Sport Management program.
“At the rehab center, called the Center for the Intrepid, they had a program for learning to use prosthetics, with instructional courses on things like walking and gait,” said Lee. “One thing they also wanted to emphasize was sports.”
He continued, “Sports are such a huge thing for so many military veterans, so in 2009 they started military veteran Paralympic programs. Sled hockey is something I got involved in through that program; I had no idea I was going to be a sled hockey player or a Paralympian.”
Of the 17 players on the Paralympics team, four are rookies, and they’ve affectionately dubbed Lee “Papa Jen.” He said before the final match that he has enjoyed mentoring the younger players throughout this residency, although this experience felt different from the past three.
“I think I’m just kind of learning from all the other experiences leading up to this. Since Beijing, we’ve had very successful seasons, but also some tough losses, too. Those things prepare me for where I need to be,” said Lee before the final match. “When the puck drops in Milan, we’ve just got to play. All the outside noise, it doesn’t matter. It’s about your teammates and the other guys on the ice.”
This year’s Games were also special because a big group of friends and family, including his daughter, traveled to Milan to watch Lee play. Despite this being his fourth appearance, it was the first time they’ve seen him play in person — and win a gold medal — at the Paralympics.
Read more about Jen Lee in features by UT News and the College of Education.