The Brief

After several months of uncertainty and delays, Yosemite National Park has announced it will begin accepting reservations for summer camping in several of the park’s most popular campgrounds starting Monday.

The campgrounds, which include the Upper Pines, Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow sites, will begin accepting camping reservations on Recreation.gov on Monday, March 24, for stays June 15–July 14, and on Monday, March 31, for stays July 15–Aug. 14. Reservations will be released at 7 a.m. PDT.

Several other Yosemite campgrounds, including Lower Pines and North Pines, will remain closed until further notice, with no advance reservations possible at the moment.

Camping reservations for Yosemite tend to sell out within minutes, so campers hoping to snag a spot are encouraged to act quickly when reservations are released.

Why were Yosemite reservations delayed this year?

On Feb. 14, President Donald Trump’s administration fired over a thousand National Park Service staff nationwide as part of a broader plan to cut federal spending.

The firings, including those at Yosemite, affected biologists, rangers, search and rescue personnel, custodians, locksmiths and wildlife specialists who had not completed their probationary periods, raising concerns about park maintenance and visitor safety. The NPS was also forced to temporarily freeze hiring for crucial seasonal workers.

A view of a welcome sign as hundreds of tourists and photographers flock in Yosemite National Park, California, United States on Feb. 19, 2025.

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That same day, Yosemite officials announced on social media that summer camping reservations for the park would be delayed. While the announcement did not attribute the delay directly to the layoffs, it noted, “We understand the impact this has on visitors who are planning camping trips to the park.” In addition, Yosemite’s 2025 separate day-use entry reservation system, intended to limit traffic in the park at peak times, was already delayed by the time layoffs hit. (Jump straight to more on the delay on day-use reservations.)

On March 20, the National Parks Conservation Association announced that NPS was authorized to reinstate all probationary park staff who were fired in February. In a statement, a Yosemite National Parks spokesperson said all reinstated employees would receive back pay and “individual notifications are underway, and while the process takes time, affected employees can expect to receive notification soon, if they have not already.”

Many national park workers, however, say they remain anxious about the longer-term future of their jobs, and Yosemite National Park did not comment on how the reinstatements might affect the park’s plan for limited campground reservations this summer.

Mark Rose, NPCA’s Sierra Nevada and Clean Air Program Manager, attributed Yosemite’s decision not to open reservations for all its campgrounds, in part, to the post-firing shortage of park staff, as well the park’s forced delay in hiring seasonal workers.

“Even with the new reservations finally going online for some campgrounds, Yosemite is still holding back over 250 sites from reservations,” Rose told KQED by email. Rose supports NPCA’s conservation efforts in Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, as well as in the surrounding Central Valley and Sierra Foothill communities.

Yosemite officials say the park may release further sites if operational capacity allows and will “provide at least seven days advance notice via the park’s website and social media if additional reservations are released.” The new reservations, once released, will not impact any reservations made beforehand.

NPS reported a record 331.9 million visits to its lands nationwide in 2024, with Yosemite accounting for over 4% of all visits to national parks that same year.

Tourists visiting Yosemite National Park on Aug. 3, 2022.

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What to expect at Yosemite when visiting this summer

Reservations will be released at Recreation.gov for Yosemite campgrounds, including the Upper Pines, Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow sites on:

• 7 a.m. PDT on March 24 for stays June 15–July 14.
• 7 a.m. PDT on March 31 for stays July 15–Aug. 14.

For the latest updates, be sure to check the official Yosemite National Park website or follow the park on social media.

Rose warned that visitors and campers should prepare for a potentially different Yosemite experience this summer as a result of the federal personnel cuts, which have reduced staffing across various departments.

One major impact could be increased traffic in Yosemite, Rose said. With reduced staffing and no reservation system to manage the number of vehicles entering the park, Rose said visitors should expect traffic jams, not just when traveling into the park but also around it.

“Popular destinations like Eastern Yosemite Valley may start turning vehicles around early in the morning on numerous days throughout the summer when parking lots fill up,” Rose said. “While these impacts have been seen in past years when day-use reservations were not in place, with less staff, we can expect overcrowding to be even more severe.”

A line of cars creeps slowly from Fish Camp toward the western Highway 41 entrance of Yosemite National Park as viewed on June 18, 2024, just outside Yosemite National Park.

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Some of the other impacts visitors should anticipate:

• Limited campground services: Expect fewer rangers available for assistance and possible delays in maintenance.
• Longer lines: There may be longer lines at park entrances and visitor centers due to fewer staff managing traffic and services.
• Reduced ranger programs: Some programs, such as ranger-led talks and guided hikes, may be scaled back.

Park officials encourage visitors to be patient and plan ahead, as the reduced workforce could impact everything from check-in times to restroom maintenance at campgrounds.

Jonathan Farrington, executive director of the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau, remained optimistic about the upcoming visitor season despite recent staffing reductions at Yosemite National Park. He also pushed back against advocates and media speculation that essential services would be severely disrupted.

“There are actually more employees in Yosemite who don’t work for the government than do,” Farrington said, highlighting that hotels, restaurants, shuttle services and retail shops operate under private concessions unaffected by federal staffing changes.

Camas and western bistort bloom in Crane Flat, one of Yosemite National Park’s 3,000 meadows.

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Day-use reservations still in limbo

Separately from campground reservations, Yosemite officials had intended to implement a permanent policy this year requiring all visitors without camping or lodging reservations to make a separate day-use reservation before driving into the park. The measure was designed to help manage high visitor volume, especially during peak season.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the day-use reservation system, which was first tried in 2020 and was scheduled to become permanent this year, was placed on hold amid uncertainty about its approval by the Trump administration. The park still has not announced further plans for day-use reservations, saying only that officials “[anticipate] sharing details about this year’s reservation system in the near future.”

Farrington said that since a permanent system has never existed, it’s hard to tell if implementing it now would help with overcrowding in the summer.

“If a reservation system was implemented tomorrow, the confusion that it would create at the entrance stations would be debilitating,” he said. “More than half of the reservations in hotels for people that are coming, especially internationally, to Yosemite this summer are already made.”

Rose noted that last year, over 700 vehicles — about 2,000 visitors — a day arrived unaware of the reservation requirement. “That created two-hour backups and a lot of disappointed visitors,” he said.

El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.

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Can’t get a Yosemite campground reservation? You still have alternatives

For those who miss out on a campground reservation due to this year’s reduced inventory and Yosemite’s overall popularity, there are still other options to stay inside or near the park:

Inside the park:

• Yosemite’s first-come, first-served campgrounds: for example Camp 4, a popular walk-in campground, may have limited availability.
• Lodging in Yosemite: The Ahwahnee, Yosemite Valley Lodge and Curry Village provide hotel and cabin options within the park, albeit at a premium.

Outside the park:

• Private campgrounds and RV parks: Spots like Yosemite Pines RV Resort, High Sierra RV Park and other private campgrounds near Groveland, Mariposa and El Portal offer alternatives.
• National Forest Land: Nearby areas in Stanislaus, Sierra and Inyo National Forests offer dispersed camping, which can be a good alternative for those comfortable with camping without basic amenities like toilets and potable water.

Farrington urged visitors to plan ahead and to arrive early or late to avoid peak congestion around popular scenic viewpoints between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. He said visitors could also consider biking through Yosemite Valley rather than driving.

“Sunrise is the best time to visit Tunnel View,” he advised. “And renting a bike is one of the best ways to explore the park at your own pace.”

Many of the bear-proofing designs you see in parks with bears were invented in Yosemite.

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Useful reminders for visiting Yosemite in 2025

Here’s a list of essential tips if you’re hoping to visit Yosemite this summer:

Book early and check for cancellations
If reservations are full, check Recreation.gov frequently for cancellations, as spots may open up unexpectedly.
Prepare for self-sufficiency 
With reduced staffing, expect to handle basic campsite upkeep and pack out all trash. Bring extra supplies, including toilet paper, trash bags and hand sanitizer.
Arrive early 
Due to staffing cuts, campgrounds and entrances may be more congested than usual. Arriving early in the day can help avoid long waits.
Follow fire safety rules
Summer wildfires are a growing concern and fire restrictions may be in place. Check for updates before lighting campfires.
Respect wildlife 
With fewer rangers patrolling the park, bear activity could increase. Always store food in bear-proof containers and never leave food unattended.
Plan for limited cell service
Yosemite’s remote areas have little to no phone reception. Download maps, bring a GPS and let someone know your itinerary before heading into the backcountry.

KQED’s Carly Severn contributed to this story.

Hundreds of people from across Greater L.A. journeyed to the Mojave Desert this weekend to protest living conditions at the Adelanto Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center, where an estimated 2,000 people are being held.

Current and former detainees say immigrants there face rotten food, denial of medication and solitary confinement.

The Trump administration, which has denied those charges, has promised to expand the network of immigrant prisons like Adelanto across the U.S., even as the number of people who’ve died in ICE custody grows.

The organizers stage a concert outside the detention center on Saturday to serenade the detainees, while also speaking to how the administration’s policies have harmed their communities.

Sandra Garcia was among dozens of people who boarded three buses outside the Pasadena Community Job Center. She decided to make the trek out of a sense of responsibility, she told LAist. Last summer, immigration agents raided her family’s tamale stand, pinned four of their regular customers to the ground and arrested them. She said it’s something her family can’t forget. Two of Garcia’s cousins have also been detained. One of them, she said, has already been deported.

Since then, Garcia has joined a rapid response network to help alert her neighbors to the presence of federal agents.

“ As a U.S citizen, I'm gonna continue pushing,” she added.

Sandra Garcia said two of her cousins were detained by ICE, as were four customers at her family's business in Pasadena.

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Heavenly Hughes, a longtime Altadena resident, said she joined the caravan “to show that Black and brown unity is important.”

Her parents, she said, bought their home in the early 1970s, and the community she grew up in was the product of redlining.

“Hardworking Black people built this community,” she said of Altadena. When the Eaton Fire broke out, “my friends, my peers, those who helped raise me — they lost everything in the fire.”

The day laborers at the job center have been integral to rebuilding the region, Hughes said. She was going to Adelanto to protest against the detention of these workers and to express her solidarity with them and their families.

“I love when I hear our community saying joy is resistance,” she said. “ We want the people there who are detained to hear our voices.  That they are humans. That they deserve to be treated right.”

Songs of resistance  

As desert winds blew, the activists made their way from the caravans to a mobile stage truck.

“It's heavy to be here,” said Elisa Schwartz, a resident of Valley Village who carried a sign that read: “We’ve seen this shit before.”

“As a Jew, I was raised to know that once you are othered, you are in serious danger,” she added.

To get to Adelanto from her home, Schwartz traveled nearly 100 miles. As she marched along the dusty highway with other protesters, she wished she could go out there every day.

“I hope [this] will mean something to them,” she said.

Demonstrators gathered at the front of Adelanto ICE Processing Center, in San Bernardino County. The privately run detention center has faced accusations of neglect and inhumane conditions, including in a recent lawsuit.

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Up on the stage, the musicians played folk songs about working class solidarity and resistance to repressive governments, like Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin'” and a rendition of Alí Primera’s “Techos de cartón.”

Some protesters created an altar near the stage in honor of those who recently died in immigrant prisons, or at the hands of federal agents. For a while, the mood was somber, and the activists weren’t sure that the detainees could hear the music. The unyielding gusts of wind didn’t help.

A few feet away, brothers Abe and Ben (who asked LAist not to share their last name out of fear of reprisal) distributed groceries from the back of their truck. When a parent or partner is detained, Abe noted, it can wreak economic havoc on a household. They wanted to do their part to help ease their burden.

They would know. In late February, Abe had been detained at Adelanto. And Ben had flown to visit him in Adelanto from the Bay Area.

“It was really hard to see, you know, my older brother, who I grew up with, in these conditions,” Ben said.

Abe, left, said he spent nearly a month in the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. He came to the demonstration with his brother Ben, right, to show support for people who are still inside.

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Abe was detained for three weeks after being arrested at an annual check-in. When asked about what it was like inside, he said he always ate canned food — “nothing was fresh” — and that getting medical attention could take up to a week. He most looked forward to the one hour per day he was allowed to be outside.

“You're behind the fence, inside the cages, but at least you're in the sun,” he said.

While he was detained, Ben’s friends suggested that he launch a GoFundMe page to help the family cover his brother's attorney’s fees. More than 200 people contributed. That level of support “was hope giving,” Ben said. Now that Abe is free, he, his brother and Abe’s wife decided to go to the protest and pay it forward.

Singers performed from a truck outfitted with huge speakers.

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Demonstrators gathered around a delivery truck that served as a stage for performers and speakers.

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Getting in contact with people inside

Jax Santana, whose father, Ramiro Santiago Pacheco Martinez, was detained last November, told the crowd that her father was a day laborer in Pomona; that he was the one who taught her to drive and cheered for her at her graduation; that she and her four siblings wanted him home.

As the sun began to set, the crowd moved the mobile stage across the street, closer to the detention center.

The musicians played more upbeat music including cumbia and quebradita.

Jax Santana came to the demonstration to speak out for her father, Ramiro Santiago Pacheco Martinez. He was detained in November and is being held at Adelanto ICE Processing Center.

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Demonstrators marched around the Adelanto ICE Processing Center on Saturday to demand the release of people detained at the facility. Their goal was to make enough noise that people inside the detention center could hear them.

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Santana took the mic for a second time. Using a government-approved messaging system, they were able to make contact with their father.

“He can hear us!” Santana told a cheering crowd. “They all can hear us!”

Then, Santana led the crowd in chanting: “No estan solos! You’re not alone!"

As the chanting died down, Santana shared one more message from their father: “You better be dancing,” he said.

A federal judge Monday dealt a major blow to the Trump administration's efforts to overhaul the nation's vaccine policies, including the controversial decision to slash the number of federally recommended vaccinations for children.

U.S. District Court Judge Brian Murphy in Boston put a hold on the decisions made by an influential Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine advisory committee, ruling that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had improperly replaced the entire committee.

The decision was hailed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other leading health groups that brought the lawsuit, as well as infectious disease experts around the country.

"Today's ruling is a historic and welcome outcome for children, communities, and pediatricians everywhere," said Dr. Andrew Racine, the pediatric academy's president.

The administration plans to appeal the decision, according to Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Andrew Nixon. "HHS looks forward to this judge's decision being overturned just like his other attempts to keep the Trump administration from governing," Nixon wrote in an email to NPR.

Nixon, confirmed, however that the ruling had forced the CDC vaccine committee, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, to postpone a meeting that was planned for Wednesday and Thursday. The committee was expected to raise new questions about the COVID-19 vaccines and possibly revamp how federal vaccine policies are formulated.

The judge ruled that Kennedy and his committee had made arbitrary and capricious decisions, ignoring a long-used, well-regarded scientific process for developing vaccine policies. He wrote in his ruling, "the government has disregarded those methods and thereby undermined the integrity of its actions."

The ACIP, whose members Kennedy fired and replaced largely with new members who also criticized vaccines, had issued a series of contentious recommendations, including a recommendation that all babies get vaccinated against hepatitis B at birth. The judge's ruling stays the appointment of 13 committee members appointed by Kennedy since June 2025, when the previous members were fired.

Administration lawyers had argued that the changes were the result of different interpretations of vaccine data.

"This is a significant victory for public health, evidence-based medicine, the rule of law, and the American people," Richard Hughes, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told reporters after the ruling.
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Team USA finished second in the overall Paralympics medal count, after 10 days of competition in which American athletes made dazzling debuts, defended titles and cemented legacies.

One of the many made-for-TV moments came just hours before the closing ceremony on Sunday, when the U.S. sled hockey team defeated rival Canada to claim its record fifth gold medal in a row.

"You don't ever start out and try to be the only five-time gold medalist in the sport," said captain Josh Pauls after personally achieving that very feat. "But to be with these guys, to lead them and kind of pass on that tradition, it's the ultimate honor."

The day — and the Games — ended with the closing ceremony in Cortina d'Ampezzo, featuring performances, speeches and the extinguishing of the Paralympic flame. American skiers Kendall Gretsch and Andrew Kurka, who are both leaving Italy with new medals, carried the flag for Team USA.

"I've been involved in four Games and have only been able to go to two closing ceremonies: in PyeongChang, where I won my gold and silver, and this year, where I won my bronze," said Kurka, who medaled in men's super-G. "It's been a career filled with ups and downs, but even the small victories count for me."

Andrew Kurka and Kendall Gretsch carry the U.S. flag during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games closing ceremony in Cortina on Sunday.

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At the ceremony, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons declared the Games — the 50th anniversary of the Winter Paralympics — officially over, and a success: "The biggest and most beautiful Winter Paralympics with more athletes, more nations, more women and more global broadcast and digital coverage than ever before."

A record 611 athletes from 55 countries competed in 79 medal events across six sports.

China topped the medal count for the second Winter Games in a row, with 44 total medals (15 gold), followed by the U.S. with 24 total medals, including 13 gold. The U.S. improved on its fifth-place standing from 2022. This is the same number of gold medals it won in 2018, in what officials are calling its "strongest gold-medal showing in the last 20 years."

A total of 28 American Paralympians and two guides reached the podium this year. Six of them won medals for the first time, and six of them earned multiple medals, according to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC).

In third place — both overall and in gold medals — was Russia, which was allowed to participate under its own flag for the first time since 2014 despite its ongoing war in Ukraine. Ukrainian athletes boycotted both the opening and closing ceremonies in protest.

But even in a moment of intense geopolitical upheaval, amid conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, the IPC's Parsons said the Paralympics offered "proof that sport can unite us through respect, fairness and human achievement."

"Paralympians, you rose above pressure, expectation and global tension to keep the focus where it belongs: on you and your sport," he said. "You expanded the imagination of the world. You have shown that excellence is universal and that determination knows no boundaries."

Parsons passed the proverbial torch to the next Winter Paralympics host: the French Alps for 2030. Those will follow the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Los Angeles.

Team USA highlights

Team USA's Declan Farmer, center, fights for the puck during the gold-medal match against Canada.

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On the ice: 

The U.S. sled hockey team got off to a strong start in an early-round match against Italy, when it beat the host nation 14-1 — the largest margin of victory in the sport's U.S. history.

It stayed dominant, outscoring opponents 46-6 throughout the tournament before becoming the first Paralympic or Olympic team to win five consecutive winter gold medals.

"You are going to enjoy something like this, for sure," Coach David Hoff said afterward. "But I don't know if it's just the wins. It's so much more than that. They just love playing together."

Team USA beat Canada 6-2 on Sunday, thanks to a hat trick from Jack Wallace — who was named "best defender" of the tournament — and goals by Kayden Beasley, Brody Roybal and four-time Paralympian Declan Farmer.

Farmer, the top scorer and official MVP of these Games, scored 15 goals and 26 points throughout the tournament to become the all-time leading scorer in Paralympic sled hockey history at just 28 years old. But he was quick to share the credit with his teammates.

"A lot of the guys stepped up and had their best games of the tournament, and we just carried each other," said Farmer. "I'm just so happy for the guys, we earned it together."

You're forgiven if you have deja vu from last month: This win makes the U.S. the first country to sweep all three Olympic and Paralympic hockey tournaments in one year.

Team USA also made history in wheelchair curling, with Steve Emt and Laura Dwyer finishing fourth in the brand-new mixed doubles event. That's the United States' best-ever Paralympic finish in the sport.

"In the two years we've been together, we've shown the world what we're capable of doing and we're going to go home, take some time off, relax, re-group and come back even better next year," said Emt, the most decorated Paralympic curler in U.S. history.

In Para Nordic Skiing (cross country and biathlon):

Oksana Masters competes in the para cross-country skiing 20km in Tesero, Italy, on Sunday.

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Eight-time, dual-season Paralympian Oksana Masters, the most decorated Winter Paralympian in U.S. history, is leaving Italy with four new gold medals and a bronze in biathlon and cross-country skiing events, bringing her career total to 24 medals.

That's despite a concussion, infection and injury that almost kept her from competing in the first place.

"I think that is what makes it so special, because nothing is guaranteed," Masters told NPR on Saturday. "A win's not guaranteed, and the podium's not guaranteed, and so that's been a really great motivator for this whole … year so far."

Four-time Paralympian Jake Adicoff, with guides Reid Goble and Peter Wolter, won four gold medals in four visually impaired skiing events to set a new record for the most Para cross-country golds won by a Team USA athlete in a single Games.

Joshua Sweeney, Oksana Masters, Sydney Peterson, Jake Adicoff and his guide Reid Goble of Team USA participate in the medal ceremony after the para cross-country skiing mixed 4x2.5km relay.

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"It's incredibly scary to put a high goal out to the public," the 30-year-old said. "I was doubting it so much this week, I didn't know what was going to happen, but the races came together and I'm just overjoyed."

One of those was the mixed 4x2.5km relay, where the all-star team of Adicoff, Masters, Josh Sweeney and Sydney Peterson came from behind in the final leg to defend the U.S. title.

Peterson, competing in her second Paralympics, won four medals — three of them gold — this time around.

And Kendall Gretsch, closing ceremony flag-bearer, won four medals at her third Winter Paralympics (and fifth total): one gold, one silver and two bronze. That brings her total medal count to 11 across Summer and Winter Games.

In Alpine skiing:

Andrew Kurka competes in the super-G leg of the para Alpine skiing men's combined.

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Andrew Kurka won bronze in the men's super-G sitting, adding to his silver and gold from 2018.

"I'm happy to be here. I'm happy to have a great career. Gold, silver, and bronze, happy to be done," said Kurka, who wrote on Instagram after the closing ceremony that he is stepping back from ski racing to deal with injuries.

In 2022, he competed with a broken nose, thumb and humerus bone, finishing fourth in the sitting downhill event before withdrawing from the rest of competition. Kurka said in Italy that he's broken over 20 bones in his career.

"When it comes to it, losing is nothing compared to the pain of failure," he said after winning bronze. "And when it comes down to today, I was just happy to get across that finish line without any injuries and in a relatively quick time. Usually, if I cross the finish line, it's pretty fast."

Meanwhile, Patrick Halgren won silver in the men's super-G standing event — the first for Team USA since 1998.

Patrick Halgren celebrates after winning a silver medal in the alpine skiing men's super-G standing on Monday.

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The 33-year-old wasn't necessarily a favorite for the podium, having placed 26th and 24th at his events in the Beijing Paralympics. But Halgren said he felt the presence of his late twin brother Sven — his source of encouragement to try para Alpine skiing — who died in a motorcycle accident in 2016. Halgren himself lost most of his left leg, and nearly his life, in a motorcycle accident three years earlier.

Halgren, who wowed the internet with his winning performance and rock-star persona, dedicated his win to Sven and called it the "best day of my life until tomorrow."

"You celebrate the victories the same as the defeats," he added. "I've been blessed to have to develop my character over the last 11 years, losing my leg, and could either roll over and die, or I could become the greatest Patrick Halgren on Earth, and that's what you're seeing."

In snowboarding: 

Kate Delson, center, and Brenna Huckaby, right, of Team U.S. pose for a photo on the podium during the medal ceremony for the para snowboard banked slalom.

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Three-time Paralympian Brenna Huckaby leaves Italy as the most decorated Paralympic snowboarder in history.

She won bronze in the women's banked slalom event — which she dominated in 2022 — to bring her career total to five medals. That came days after she finished sixth in the snowboard cross event, which she still saw as a win.

"I'm here representing a very small portion of people who want to see themselves represented," Huckaby said. "They want to know that if they lose their leg above the knee, life does not end. I accomplished that here simply by being. So I'm happy."

First-time Paralympian Kate Delson medaled in both of those events, winning gold in the banked slalom and silver in snowboard cross.

"I was just stoked to be here, I think it's such a fun course," Delson said after. "I got to get a medal with my teammate, [Huckaby], one of my best friends in the world, that's unreal."

On the men's side, Noah Elliott won gold in the banked slalom, a repeat of 2018, and silver in snowboard cross to double his career medal count.

Mike Schultz brought home a bronze medal in his final Paralympics, for which he outfitted many athletes with their prosthetics.

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And Mike Schultz earned his fourth career medal — bronze in banked slalom — at the last race of his third and final Paralympics.

"To finish my last run and bring home a bronze medal, that's storybook stuff there," Schultz said in an emotional Instagram video after watching a compilation of congratulatory messages from his U.S. snowboarding teammates, whom he called his family.

All the while, the 44-year-old outfitted many para athletes — including some who beat him — with high-performance prosthetics, a business he has run for over a decade, which he plans to pursue in retirement.
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