After Experiencing The Winter Paralympics In Person, Brittni Mason Won’t Be Switching To Winter Sports Anytime Soon

For Brittni Mason, being a part of Team USA isn’t just about medals. It’s an experience that keeps evolving in unexpected ways.

As a standout on the track, Mason has won five medals over the last two Paralympic Games — and four more at the World Para Athletics Championships. But earlier this month, Mason’s role with Team USA took on a different dimension.

Mason was among a group of 11 Para athletes who served as social media ambassadors for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. Continuing a program that Team USA first implemented for the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics, this was the first Winter Paralympics that featured Team USA athletes as designated content creators. 

“I was really honored to be there,” Mason said of her five days in Cortina. “It really pushed me to step out of my comfort zone to create more content — and network. It was a win-win. It was a great opportunity for me.”

For Mason, one of the best aspects of the program was the creative freedom. 

“They gave us free range,” noted the Cleveland native. “They wanted us to just get the word out about the Paralympics, try to get people on board to get excited. That’s where we came in.”

With no posting requirements from Team USA, Mason was free to do whatever felt natural — interviewing athletes, capturing behind-the-scenes moments and sharing these sneak peaks with her 38,500 Instagram followers. 

Beyond content creation, the experience gave Mason a new appreciation for winter sports. She even tried her hand at monoskiing with less than world-class results.

“I know that we’re all Paralympians,” Mason said, “but if I had to cross over to a winter sport, I couldn’t even do any of them. We just run and jump — lighthearted sports — but watching someone with one leg balance and ski downhill is incredible to see in person, or to watch visually impaired athletes ski downhill is mind blowing.”

For Mason, the Paralympic Movement is particularly close to her heart. In fact, she only became involved with adaptive sports because someone asked if she would be interested in competing. At the time, Mason had no idea that she was eligible to compete in the Paralympics after being born with Erb’s Palsy in her left arm.

Now, though, that perspective fuels Mason to show up both as an athlete and an advocate. 

“Maybe because I’m super empathetic,” said Mason, now 27 years old, “but when I look at the impact (Para sports) have made on my life and the opportunities it’s given me, I’m like, ‘Wow, other people should know about this.’ Because (Para sports) changed my life so much, I feel like I owe that back to spread awareness and to show that this wasn’t the path I was supposed to be on, but it was life changing. It’s the best thing to ever happen to me.”

As a member of Team USA, Mason competed in the Paralympics in 2020 and 2024. She won silver in both the women’s 100-meter and 200-meter T47 in Paris. She also has participated in the world championships in 2019, 2023, 2024 and 2025, bringing home four more medals (including two golds).

“(Competing for Team USA) is surreal,” she said. “This is not something I ever thought I’d be doing. So, I try to take it in with appreciation and gratitude. Less than 1% of the world gets this opportunity. Wearing Team USA across my chest is not something I take lightly. Competing on the big stage is the best thing in the world.” 

However, this year offers a rare shift in pace for Mason. In fact, the reason she was able to devote time to creating content in Italy is because 2026 is an “off year” on the Para track-and-field calendar. The 2026 USATF Outdoor and Para National Championships take place in July, but there are no world championships until 2027, with the Los Angeles Paralympics following that in 2028.

“It’s kind of weird to not compete for anything major this year,” said Mason, “but the goal remains the same. I’m trying to get better and better, amping up with the major goal being LA”

For a world-class athlete like Mason, it’s never easy to rank her most memorable moments. But when all is said and done, creating content in Cortina will likely be among the memories that stand out as her personal favorites.

“This is my first Winter Games that I got to watch in person. That’s going to always stick with me because you don’t realize how incredible these athletes are,” said Mason, who noted that Italy was one of her favorite places she’s ever visited. “I loved being able to focus on celebrating Team USA athletes and their achievements. … This was an eye-opening experience for me. I’m going to always remember it.”

Drew Silverman is a freelance contributor to usatf.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.