��ɫֱ��

Brendan Mackay has discovered the balance.  

A time-management ace, the University of Calgary grad student squeezes the most out of athletics and academics — in his case, freestyle skiing and physics research. 

“Athletes have a lot of highs and lot of lows,” Mackay, BSc’24, told The Canadian Press (CP). “If you have a tough day skiing or training, you can shift your focus.” 

Armed with a physics major and a math minor, Mackay is pursuing a master’s degree at UCalgary, delving into quantum technology. That’s demanding enough. He also managed to earn a bronze medal in the men’s freestyle halfpipe competition Feb. 20 at the Livigno Snow Park during the final days of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina.

“This sport has all kinds,” Mackay’s halfpipe coach Trennon Paynter told CP. “It has crazy people. It has really calculated smart people like Brendan. Brendan is not a crazy person, although he’s doing a pretty crazy sport. And it’s a really interesting kind of paradox that plays out well for him.” 

Having dominated the qualifying stage — posting the top mark — Mackay got to go last in the championship round. With all of his competitors finished, Mackay had one chance. In dramatic fashion, he produced a 91.00-point run, vaulting him into third and onto the Olympic podium for the first time. 

“That was definitely the best ride I’d ever done, so I’m very stoked. It felt amazing. It felt really big,” said Mackay. “For sure, it’s always stressful up there. There’s always a little voice in the back of your head because what we’re doing is super-gnarly. I was trying really, really hard to just stay calm.”