Alex Ferreira and Brandy

Alex Ferreira and Brandy

alex ferreira and brandy

Nulo partner Alex Ferreira is a two-time Olympic medalist and one of the most dominant halfpipe skiers in history. The Aspen native made headlines when he became the first halfpipe skier ever to achieve a perfect season in 2023-24, winning every single contest he entered. In 2018, he took home Olympic silver after making history with the first "all doubles run" in halfpipe competition, and added bronze to his collection at the 2022 Beijing Games. Growing up in an athletic family—his father was a professional soccer player from Argentina, and his mother was a competitive relay racer— Alex understood early on that proper nutrition fuels your biggest goals. 

Off the slopes, Alex is a dog dad to his four-and-a-half-year-old rescue dog, Brandy. When Alex rescued Brandy, she had been badly abused, with burn marks on her face and a very skittish demeanor. Through love, care, and high-quality nutrition, she has transformed into a happy and healthy companion. Just as Alex relies on the best nutrition for peak performance, he trusts Nulo to fuel Brandy for their active Aspen lifestyle. Alex sat down with the Nulo team to share how Brandy supports his journey and why he chooses Nulo for her.

Tell us about Brandy and how she became part of your family.

Brandy is about four and a half years since her gotcha date. Both of our previous dogs had passed away, and my mom was feeling a bit of the empty nest syndrome, so she decided to start fostering. That lasted about two weeks. We got Brandy, and we were trying to find her a home, and then quickly we realized she's already at home. When we got Brandy, she was extremely skittish and had burn marks all over her face. I thought she would never heal. Turns out all she needed was a lot of love and care. Her burn marks completely went away and now she's 100% healthy. I socialize her by taking her on adventures with me—to the gym, riding in the front seat of the car, putting down the window, driving into town. She has a new lease on life, and you can literally see it in her smile.  Honestly, it's a new lease on life for me too.

What does Brandy mean to you, and how does she support you through your sport?

Brandy is a huge part of our family. She's pretty much our entire world. The thing I love most about Brandy is that she's not counting medals. She's just wagging her tail when I get home, so she's there for me—the good, the bad, the ugly, everything—and I absolutely need her. Whether it's a good day or a bad day, she brightens that day, and that's what matters. The unconditional love we share with each other is unbelievable. She's come from a really scary home before ours, and this is now her safe place.

Tell us about your journey back from the crashes in 2023 and how it parallels Brandy's story.

In 2023, I was in a competition, and I had one of the worst crashes of my life. I collected myself. I got back together. I went back up, and I had another one of the worst crashes in my life. Two crashes in the same event. From that season on, I kind of just looked at myself in the mirror and decided, okay, am I going to be good or am I going to be great? And I came back the next season, and I won every single event. I was the first one to ever have a perfect season, and now I'm on this Olympic push. I feel like I'm similar to Brandy in that way. She’s a rescue, and we're both getting our second chances. When Brandy first arrived, she was in really rough shape, and with some loving care, we helped her reach the place she is now. Similar to my story, it just takes a little time, but we rebounded and now get our chance to thrive. 

How does nutrition play into your success as an athlete, and why is it important for Brandy?

We train extremely hard every day, day in, day out. And just like the training is so important, so is the diet. So, I'm feeding myself with the best foods—vegetables, the best meats, organic, water all the time—and why should it be any different for her? She's an extension of me. It should be the exact same thing. I'm fueling myself with greatness for greatness, and she's getting the absolute same thing with Nulo.

Why did you choose Nulo for Brandy?

Here in Aspen, Brandy and I lead a really active, outdoor life, and Nulo is so great for her because it fuels her for all the activities we do together. The thing I like most about Nulo is how much they care about the animals, not only with their products, but also the people working for the company genuinely and deeply care about their animals, and it's the same in our household, so it's a perfect fit.

Try Alex and Brandy's Picks

Each day, Alex feeds Brandy a mix of these great Nulo foods to fuel her incredible journey with him. Mixing and matching the products keeps things fun and exciting for Brandy, and can for your pet as well.

SEE MORE ABOUT ALEX AND BRANDY ON INSTAGRAM @ALEXFERREIRASKI
VIEW MORE STORIES