Olympic Gold Medalist Figure Skater Shares Passion for Magic: The Gathering

On February 8, Amber Glenn made history as the sixth woman to land a triple axel in Winter Olympic competition, contributing to Team USA’s gold medal in the team event. But beyond her impressive skating skills, Glenn is also a passionate fan of Magic: The Gathering.

In a brief profile video featured during the Winter Olympics coverage, Glenn shared her enthusiasm for the trading card game, casually revealing a collection of Magic cards from her pockets, including Pyroblast and Last Chance. She mentioned that she left her “super fancy” cards at home, as they are her “prized possessions” that she can’t risk losing.

“It’s a battle-based game that involves different planes of existence and realms, usually played against a couple of other people,” she explained in the video, hinting at her enjoyment of four-player Commander games. “I go to local game stores and play. I know it’s nerdy, but it’s my hobby and I enjoy it.”

Hailing from Plano, Texas, Glenn has dedicated much of her life to figure skating and has openly discussed the mental challenges that come with competing at such high levels. For her, Magic serves as a vital outlet. In the same video, she emphasized the importance of having interests outside of skating, especially as she focuses on her mental well-being.

“My skating and mental health journey are an ever-continuing path,” she stated. “Prioritizing my mental health outside of the sport is crucial — and not forgetting that I’m a whole person. I have hobbies. I have people I love outside of the sport.”

Glenn’s official Team USA profile lists Magic: The Gathering as one of her hobbies, even mentioning that her dog, Uki, is named after Ukkima, Stalking Shadow, a blue-black “whale wolf” that can’t be blocked. During an interview with a local NBC affiliate in Texas earlier this month, Glenn described Uki as a young Schipperke, a long-haired black dog breed with wolf-like features from Belgium. We can only imagine that Glenn has a Commander deck featuring Ukkima, Stalking Shadow and Cazur, Ruthless Stalker as partners — Amber, we’d love to see that decklist!

A “Day in the Life” video released by Team USA in December provided a glimpse into her daily routine, which includes workouts, physical therapy, and some retail therapy at her local game store. She left with an armful of boxes from Magic’s Avatar: The Last Airbender crossover set, including at least one scene box. Glenn’s teammate Alysa Liu also shared a video on her Instagram story in December where Glenn introduced her to the game. In her first-ever Magic pack (likely a Final Fantasy Collector Booster), Liu pulled borderless versions of both Y’shtola, Night’s Blessed and Clive, Ifrit’s Dominant. Additionally, in July 2025, Glenn unboxed a Tarkir: Dragonstorm bundle for NBC’s On Her Turf.

All of this paints a picture of an athlete who has found a way to stay grounded at the pinnacle of her sport. For Glenn, Magic is more than just a quirky hobby or a fun detail — it’s a crucial part of how she safeguards her mental health, maintains balance, and reminds herself that she’s more than just her performance on the ice.

Glenn’s next competition is on February 17 in the women’s short program. In the meantime, we like to think she’s shuffling up a deck and enjoying a game of Magic.