When Emerging Media’s Oyuna Uranchimeg competed as part of Team USA’s wheelchair curling team this March, she wasn’t competing alone. She had a team of four dedicated Paralympians on the ice with her in Milan, and back in Minnesota, she had a spirited group of Tommies cheering her on.

On March 12, about 20 students and faculty rooted for Oyuna during a Wheelchair Curling Watch Party during Team USA’s final against Canada.

“It felt great to have that kind of support and cheer from my colleagues and UST students,” she said.

NBC captured footage of the group cheering for Oyuna as she concentrated early in the match. Oyuna, an administrator for the Emerging Media department, balances her professional role with the intense demands of an elite international competition. Her selection to Team USA’s Paralympic Wheelchair Curling roster is a notable achievement, placing her among the top athletes in the sport.

“It’s an incredible honor and a privilege that not every athlete gets to experience,” she said. “I felt lucky and proud all at once that ‘I made it.’”

Oyuna’s journey to the Paralympic stage began when she was introduced to wheelchair curling in 2016, when she visited the Four Seasons Curling Club in the Twin Cities area – where the U.S. wheelchair curling team was training at the time. Her path into the spot also opened her eyes to how widely accessible curling can be.

“I wish people actually knew that wheelchair curling exists and it’s a Paralympic sport and requires as much skills and athleticism as able-bodied curling,” she explained. “Curling in general is a very inclusive sport that you can play regardless of your age and physical ability.”

Oyuna made her first Paralympic team in 2022 – competing at the Beijing Games – and then made the team again in 2026.

“The first time when I was selected to the team… I got so emotional thinking about all the things (that) happened in my life,” she said.

Oyuna was paralyzed in a car accident when visiting a friend in the U.S. in 2000.

“The struggles after the spinal cord injury, the life I have been building for me and my kids in the U.S. as an immigrant – it felt like everything was leading me to this moment,” she said. “I cried. I couldn’t even sleep that night because of excitement and emotions.”

Oyuna’s second time as a Paralympian has been exciting and challenging. At the 2026 Games in Milan, Team USA’s wheelchair curling team secured early victories against Italy and the Republic of Korea, and close finishes against Great Britain and Latvia. While the match against Canada marked the end of Team USA’s run, Tommies continue to celebrate Oyuna’s achievements on and off the ice.

“All the hard work, the time, and the effort I put in have paid off,” she said.