When she’s not contributing to gold medal wins on the ice, Olympian Amber Glenn is a dedicated Magic: The Gathering player. Her dog, Uki, is even named after one of her favorite cards.
Even the highest-level athletes need some downtime between breaking world records and organizing their trophy cabinets. For some, like Olympic gold medalist sprinter Noah Lyles, he’s typically on the Rift, enjoying some League of Legends in his breaks.
For figure skater Amber Glenn, however, who just helped the United States win a team gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, she prefers tabletop games instead. Specifically, she’s a fiend for Magic: The Gathering, Wizards of the Coast’s immensely popular Trading Card Game (TCG).
Her passion for the game is now making her a social media icon. Not only does she know her stuff, but she’s highly competitive, too. There’s a chance you might see her in your local TCG store if you reside in Texas.
Olympic gold medalist Amber Glenn goes viral for love of Magic: The Gathering
Glenn skated during the Winter Olympics as part of the women’s free skate event. This helped contribute to an overall team win for the United States as the nation took out a group gold medal.
However, comments from weeks prior to her efforts on the ice are what’s drawing the most attention. These comments stem from a KTVZ News profile that aired on January 23, 2026.
“There is a game that we have heard, you are pretty into…” the hosts said. In a flash, Glenn pulled a number of MTG cards out of her pockets. “I came prepared.”
As these cards were unsleeved and well, pocketed, they weren’t anything to write home about. Admitting as much, Glenn joked she didn’t bring her “super fancy [cards]” as they are her “prized possessions.”
“I go to local game stores and play. I know it’s nerdy, but it’s my hobby and I enjoy it.”
It turns out, her dog is even named after an MTG creature. Ukkima, Stalking Shadow, is a powerful blue-black card that can’t be blocked. Her dog is named Uki in honor of it.
Not just a TCG fan, her interests span anime too, as she’s cited Death Note as one of her favorites in an interview with People.
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