Rising Phoenix: What Does It Take?
Noah Elliott on discovering the Paralympic dream from his hospital bed, the science of snowboarding and more medals in Cortina
Published: 15 March 2026 at 05:00 Europe/London
Listen on
Episode notes
Noah Elliott on discovering the Paralympic dream from his hospital bed, the science of snowboarding and more medals in Cortina
Recorded live in Cortina at a P&G event to celebrate the Everyday Champions behind the Paralympic athletes, just days after Noah Elliott won a silver medal at the Paralympic Winter Games — with one race still to come — this final episode brings this season of What Does It Take to a close.
Raised in Missouri, Noah grew up skateboarding and dreaming of going pro. But life changed quickly: he became a father at 15 and was diagnosed with cancer soon after. While undergoing chemotherapy — which ultimately led to the loss of his leg — Noah watched the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games from his hospital bed, where Para snowboarding made its debut. In that moment, he found a new dream to chase.
In conversation with Matt, Noah reflects on the journey that followed: learning to snowboard, moving to the mountains to pursue the sport full-time and winning gold at his first Paralympic Winter Games at PyeongChang 2018. He also breaks down the science behind snowboard racing — from wax to board grinds — and the tiny margins that can decide a race.
Speaking in front of a live audience, Noah also reflects on the everyday champions behind every medal — the family, partners, coaches and technicians who build Paralympic athletes up and keep them going.
We catch up with Noah in Cortina towards the end of an extraordinary Paralympic Winter Games, with a silver medal already secured and one final race still ahead.
Produced by the creators of the Emmy Award-winning Rising Phoenix, in official partnership with Milano Cortina 2026 and supported by Procter & Gamble, a worldwide Paralympic partner.
This is a Harder Than You Think production.
Host: Matt Stutzman
Producers: Calum Campbell and Vanessa Wheeler
Video Editor: Nic Woinilowicz
Audio Post Production: String and Tins
Sound Editor: Culum Simpson
Remote Recording Engineer: George Hinson
Audio Producer: Esi Jonuzi
Executive Producers: Greg Nugent and Barnaby Spurrier
The podcast’s soundtrack is titled “Rising Phoenix” - Written by Daniel Pemberton, Keith Jones, Toni Hickman and George Doman. Performed by Daniel Pemberton, Toni Hickman, georgetragic, and Keith Jones. Published by Alika’s Publishing, Doman Development, Moncur Street Music Limited, administered by peermusic (UK) Ltd.
For more from Rising Phoenix, follow on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok or visit risingphoenix.global
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
