Brenna Huckaby is a medal-winning Paralympic snowboarder and a road warrior, but she needs her rest just like everyone else.
“I try no matter what to sleep on the plane, even if I don’t fully sleep,” she told USA TODAY.
Huckaby said that staying well-rested is the key to being competition-ready, even with an intense training and travel schedule.
As she prepares to compete at the Paralympics in Milan this winter, Huckaby sat down with USA TODAY to offer her top travel tips.
These answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Question: You have a pretty big trip coming up this winter with the Olympics and Paralympics. What are you doing to prepare, both for the games and for the travel to get there?
Brenna Huckaby is a medal-winning Paralympic snowboarder.
Huckaby: I’m training. I’m starting to go out on the snow. And I won’t be off the snow until after the games. Plus, I’ve been in the gym all summer. People don’t realize that even though we travel for the Paralympics, we’re still doing other competitions and training camps. Our season is packed with travel. I was just looking at my calendar, and I’m not home for a week until January.
I feel like I’ve gotten a pretty decent like routine going. I know if I can just give myself a restorative state on the plane, that’s going to help me with all the long travel.
I have an eye mask. I make sure I have a blanket. I drink lots of water. You get really dehydrated on a plane, which is why I like an aisle seat, so I can go to the bathroom whenever I want and stretch.
As a Paralympic athlete, accessibility is important. How does that factor into your planning?
For me, walking distances can be something I care about, so I like to know how I can get around. Are there cars? Is there public transportation? Are there elevators at the hotel?
Unfortunately, a lot of the time, the places I go are not accessible. For me, it’s like mentally planning around that and just knowing, “OK, I’m going to have to walk distances and carry a bunch of big bags. I’m likely going to have to take everything up those stairs.”
That’s why I choose to prioritize so much rest before I get somewhere, because I know that I’m going to physically push myself just to get around a new space.
As we head into the ski and snowboard season, what advice do you have about traveling with gear, even for us non-professionals?
The biggest thing that helps me – because we have so many bags: If you get a snowboard bag, make sure it has wheels. And then, I use carabiners, so I’ll carabiner my bags together so that I can utilize my two hands. So, I’m pulling usually four bags in one trip, but they’re locked together.
What kinds of things do you think about when you’re booking your flights?
Brenna Huckaby getting ready for the snowboarding season.
I look at the airline’s baggage guide because sometimes with snowboard stuff, you can take a boot bag with your snowboard bag, and that can maybe help you with space. It doesn’t really help you with weight, but it can help you with space. Every airline is different, so I do check the policies before I pack.
I would say don’t wait till the last minute to pack, but I’m not going to give anybody else advice that I won’t take.
How do you like to travel? Train? Plane? Do you have a preferred mode of getting somewhere?
I really do enjoy a road trip, but I also really like planes because everything’s kind of taken care of for you. You just get there, sit, enjoy your refreshments and your food. And then, you know, go to sleep.
Road trips are great because you can stop wherever you want and sightsee and get out and stretch and have fun, but you still have to drive, and sometimes I don’t want to drive.
When you take a vacation, what are the things that you most like to splurge on?
Brenna Huckaby rock climbing during a team bonding retreat.
Food and adventures.
Whenever I go to a new place, even if I’m traveling for sport, I like to look up what it is known for, what kind of activities are around.
When you travel, what’s in your absolute essentials kit? What are the things that you don’t go anywhere without?
I’m really bummed if I don’t have my eye mask, my headphones, snacks, and that’s pretty much it. And a journal, because I like to journal.
Do you have any travel pet peeves, or your biggest travel hot take or unpopular opinion?
Something that really just gets me going: When you go to baggage claim and people just line up all around the baggage thing so that you can’t get your bag when it comes, and you can’t move your bag because they’re in the way. I have hit people with my bag before, because I’m like, ‘Why are you standing there?’ Move or have awareness.
Any last bits of insight about your travel routine?
I like to have a routine. When I sit in my chair, if it’s a long flight, I’m going to take my prosthetic (leg) off, I get my phone charger out, my headphones, and make myself comfy.
Then I have my food and a classic Coke. Maybe I’ll watch a movie if it’s a long flight. And then – even if you’re not a sleeper on an airplane – pretend to sleep.
If you set the conditions for sleep and you just relax, you’ll be more restored, because there’s nothing worse than getting off the airplane at a destination and wasting a whole day because you were too tired to do anything.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paralympian Brenna Huckaby shares her top travel tips for ski season