Three Gould Alumni Qualify for the Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina 2026
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Gould is ecstatic to announce that three recent alumni have qualified for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina, Italy. Nathan Pare ’23, Brianna Schnorrbusch ’24, and Hanna Percy ’25 will all compete in Snowboard cross (SBX) for Team U.S.A. this February.
Snowboard cross is a snowboarding competition in which athletes race four-wide over a course featuring challenging features like banked turns and jumps.
Gould SBX athletes have become regular additions to the Pro Team in recent years, and Gould was named Snowboard Club of the Year by the US Ski & Snowboard under the leadership of former Snowboard Coach KC Gandee in 2023. Tyler Hamel ’22 was named to the team during the 2021-22 season while still a senior at Gould. He still holds a spot on the team today. Tyler’s classmate Dali Gao ’23 of Beijing, China, took a year off from Gould to compete for the Chinese National SBX team, and continues to compete with an independent team after the Chinese national team lost funding. Now he splits time between competing globally and attending Dartmouth College.
Pro snowboard cross athletes Tyler Hamel ’22 and Dali Gao ’23
Bri Schnorrbusch of Monroe Township, New Jersey, was named to the U.S. Pro team in 2023 while still at Gould. She credits the Gould competitive program with helping her to race at a high level and giving her the flexibility to study remotely while training and competing with the U.S. Snowboard team.
“Gould fully supported my journey to take time away from campus and complete school virtually while pursuing my dreams, and was always there when I needed them,” says Bri. “My coaches helped me grow as an athlete and as a person. They played a huge role in preparing me for the Olympics.”
I wouldn’t be here without all the support from Gould. It feels amazing for all my hard work to pay off. - Hanna Percy ’25
Bethel native Nate Pare was named the 2024 FIS World Cup Snowboard Cross Rookie of the Year and earned his first career World Cup podium with a third-place finish at Mt. St. Anne, in Canada, in 2025. His second came just a few weeks ago in the final SBX qualifying event in Dongbeiya, China, with another third-place finish. After five years of training and competing at Gould, Nate is excited to see his highest goals realized.
“I’ve dreamt of being an Olympian as long as I can remember,” says Nate. “To have the hard work pay off is a dream come true, and I can’t wait to represent my country.”
Hanna Percy, from Truckee, California, is the youngest athlete on the Pro Team at just 18 years old. Last year, as a Gould senior, Hanna was crushing the NorAm Cup circuit before being named to the U.S. Snowboard Team. She also points to Gould as an influential and critical piece of her journey to the Olympics.
“I am so grateful for all the opportunities Gould gave me. My coaches were the best,” says Hanna. “I wouldn’t be here without all the support from Gould. It feels amazing for all my hard work to pay off.”
Nate, Hanna, and Bri all competing at World Cup events for the U.S. Snowboard Team
Having athletes competing in the Winter Olympic Games isn’t new for Gould. Freestyle skier Troy Murphy ’10 made the finals in Men’s Moguls at PyeongChang, South Korea, in 2018. Still, having three athletes competing in the same event is a special moment for Gould, none of which is lost on Head Snowboard Coach Dustin Holzweiss ’02, who has been coaching in the Gould program since 2005.
“I couldn’t be more proud of Nate, Bri, and Hanna for making the U.S. Olympic Team,” says Dustin. “They have dedicated their lives to snowboarding, and watching them grow—not only as athletes, but as people—has been an honor. I’ve witnessed the sacrifice, the hard days, and the perseverance it took to get here, and that makes this moment so special.”
Head of School Tao Smith ’90, P’23,’28, sums up the community's excitement.
We are so incredibly proud of Nate, Bri, and Hanna. Their friends, former coaches, teachers, advisors, and dorm parents will be cheering them on to Olympic success here in Bethel. Let’s go!!! - Tao Smith, Head of School
“We are so incredibly proud of Nate, Bri, and Hanna,” says Tao. “It is rare for a school to have one Olympian, much less three, in a single Olympics. Their achievements are so incredibly impressive individually and are a testament to the web of support they received along the way from their families and the team at Gould Academy. Their friends, former coaches, teachers, advisors, and dorm parents will be cheering them on to Olympic success here in Bethel. Let’s go!!!”
The snowboard cross qualifiers and finals are set to take place on Thursday, February 12, for the Men’s team and Friday, February 13, for the women’s. The full tv and streaming schedule is available on the NBC Olympics website.