Brazilian snowboarder Pat Burgener’s Olympic journey spans the mountains to music

Brazilian snowboarder Pat Burgener has found a unique balance between his athletic career and his musical passion, creating a harmony that has propelled him across both worlds with equal enthusiasm.

The 31-year-old athlete, who previously competed for Switzerland at both the 2018 Pyeongchang and 2022 Beijing Olympics, now proudly represents Brazil—his mother’s homeland. On Tuesday, he showcased his musical talents at the Brazil House in Milan, a cultural gathering spot organized by the Brazilian Olympic Committee, where approximately 50 attendees danced and applauded as Burgener delivered an impressive one-man-band performance, simultaneously playing guitar, harmonica, and drum pedals.

“This year I fell in love with Brazil and it made me do crazy things,” Burgener told the enthusiastic crowd.

Burgener’s musical journey began at age five, encouraged by his parents. He has mastered an impressive array of instruments including piano, guitar, ukulele, harmonica, trumpet, flute, and the cavaquinho—a traditional four-string Brazilian instrument. Later diagnosed with ADHD, Burgener found that music provided a crucial focus for his energetic mind.

“I realized that a big part of society doesn’t want you to do too many things because we’re kind of focused on trying to make one thing really well, which for some people works,” he explained in an interview with The Associated Press before his performance. “But for me, it’s what I need. I felt it. It was like a balance of life between snowboarding, music.”

Since his first performance with his brother at 18, Burgener knew music would be a permanent fixture in his life. He has since recorded dozens of songs and recently released his first single in Portuguese, coinciding with the start of the Winter Olympics. His schedule reflects his dual passions—touring as a musician from April to December, typically performing around 80 shows, before transitioning to snowboarding for the winter season.

Burgener’s debut with the Brazilian Olympic team came alongside Alpine ski racer Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who made history by winning South America’s first-ever Winter Olympic medal with his gold medal performance on Saturday. Pinheiro Braathen, who competed for Norway until 2023, switched allegiance to Brazil last season, embracing his maternal heritage by adding his mother’s surname.

Unfortunately, Burgener’s own Olympic journey ended earlier in the Games. On February 11 in Livigno, Italy, he finished 14th in the men’s halfpipe qualifying event, falling short of advancing to the finals. Despite this disappointment, Burgener remains philosophical, already considering how to transform the experience into musical inspiration.

“It’s like that feeling where like, ‘wow, I’ve worked so hard for this, and now it’s done,'” he reflected. “And there’s a lot of mixed emotions about this, you know? Happiness, sadness. And I always call it the post-Olympic depression, because this is just reality. If you win, if you lose, it hits pretty hard. And I’m excited for this time to write songs.”

Burgener is hardly alone in finding connections between athletics and music. The sight of athletes wearing headphones before competition has become ubiquitous across sports, from basketball courts to soccer pitches and swimming pools. During these Winter Games in Livigno, many freestyle skiers and snowboarders incorporated music directly into their competition routines.

Canadian skier Evan McEachran, for instance, listened to hardcore rap inside his helmet during Sunday’s qualifying session for the men’s big air final. “If I’m feeling like I’m a little low on energy, I’ll put on some high-tempo music,” McEachran explained. “That fires me up and gives me a little jolt.”

For athletes like Burgener who bridge the worlds of high-level sport and musical performance, these dual passions create a complementary relationship that enriches both pursuits. His unique journey represents a broader trend of Olympians embracing multidimensional identities beyond their athletic achievements—something that resonates strongly with fans seeking authentic connections with the athletes they admire.

As the Winter Olympics continue, Burgener’s story highlights the diverse pathways athletes take to the global stage, and how the Olympic movement continues to evolve beyond pure sport into a celebration of human creativity and cultural exchange.