When Jack Hughes scored on Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington to win Team USA’s first gold medal in men’s ice hockey since the 1980 Miracle on Ice, it was the walk-off moment Gibraltar alum Brandon Stillman had hoped after rearranging his flight home.

Stillman certainly was not the only Wisconsinite in Milan or Cortina for the 2026 Winter Olympics, which wrapped up Sunday. Six Wisconsin natives were part of Team USA at this year’s Games, including double gold medalist Jordan Stolz of Kewaskum.

Bobsledder Jadin O’Brien of Pewaukee; luger Marcus Mueller of Brookfield; Nordic combined athlete Ben Loomis of Eau Claire; and biathletes Deedra Irwin of Pulaski and Paul Schommer of Appleton also competed for Team USA, alongside 12 current and former members of the Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team, who also battled for gold.

Stillman’s Italian residency was much calmer than theirs as he traveled to Milan for his job with The Upper Deck Company. In addition to some soccer matches involving Inter Milan and AC Milan, Stillman was able to attend several Olympic men’s and women’s hockey games, including both Gold Medal matchups against Canada. A frequent attendee of sporting events around the world, Stillman says Sunday’s only rival is the Milwaukee Bucks’ run to an NBA title.

He credits his time at Gibraltar and Arizona State University for giving him the tools necessary to get a job that he loves and the opportunity to attend such a historic event.

After experiencing the Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Stillman is looking forward to potentially making the much shorter trips to Los Angeles in 2028 and Salt Lake City in 2034.