Berkeley students are known for their many achievements both in and out of the classroom, but one student athlete can now add Olympic gold medalist to his list of accomplishments. Declan Farmer ’16 made both Berkeley and the United States proud as he competed in sled hockey at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi.  On March 15, Farmer’s team scored a point over Russia in their final game, making them back-to-back gold medal winners.

Whether he is signing autographs or receiving honors at the White House, Farmer’s past few months have been nearly as fast-paced as a sled hockey game. Most surprised by the worldwide media coverage in Sochi, Farmer described his Paralympic debut as “overwhelming and exciting” when he realized that “the moment was finally here.”

Despite being one of the youngest members, Farmer was voted the International Paralympic Committee’s Best Male Athlete of March and is one of the highest point scorers on his team.  According to the Team USA website, as they were honored in Washington D.C. along with two hundred other Team USA athletes at the Best of U.S Awards Show, the U.S. sled hockey team was also named “Team of the Games.” As for competing in Sochi, Farmer said, “the whole team had a blast over there, and winning made it even better.”

Farmer first became interested in sled hockey after attending a clinic in Clearwater held by a team from New York. According to Farmer, he “was immediately interested in it [and] liked how fast the game was, and the team aspect of it.” In just a few years he has come a long way. According to USA Hockey Magazine, Farmer has become the youngest hockey player to have worn the crest of U.S.A. Hockey while playing sled hockey in an international competition.

According to Farmer, one of the most surreal moments of his journey was visiting the White House, where President Obama remarked on Farmer specifically in a speech. Despite all of the attention, Farmer has remained humble and said, “I was shocked that he said my name at first, but it was a huge honor to be there.”  While in D.C., Farmer and his teammates also had the opportunity to mingle with fellow Paralympic and Olympic athletes.

Described as a “phenom” and having the potential to be “the best player in the world” by Coach Josh Pauls in an interview with USA Hockey, Farmer looks forward to an exciting future. Winning a gold medal has acted as a source of motivation: “I’d liked to make the 2018 team and play in the Pyeongchang Games […] that’s my next goal.”

With his dedication and hard work, Declan Farmer is a model of Berkeley’s values and dedication to sportsmanship. Balancing the tough Berkeley curriculum with his athletic training regimen, Farmer has shown the importance of discipline and focus.  As for the most memorable part of his experience so far, he mentions “the last minutes or so of the gold medal game […] just because that was what we were working [towards].” Fellow athletes and the Berkeley community consider Farmer a source of inspiration and look forward to seeing him achieve his goals both on and off the ice.