Amber Glenn magic cards collection tops 100,000 after Olympic spotlight
The Olympic gold medalist told Variety her Magic hobby has grown into a 100,000-card stash and a possible Secret Lair wish list.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
Amber Glenn’s magic cards are not a casual side hobby anymore. The Team USA figure skater told Variety she now has “well over probably 100,000 cards” after her Magic: The Gathering fandom became part of her Olympic story.
Glenn drew attention during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, where she won a gold medal and was also seen on TV opening Magic packs. She told Variety the moments were not a marketing push. She said she was showing what she does for fun and was willing to be “a nerd on international television.”
After the Games, Glenn’s agents contacted Wizards of the Coast, the Hasbro-owned developer behind Magic: The Gathering, according to Variety. Glenn spoke to the outlet after attending a Wizards event in Seattle for a new card collection tied to the Global Fund for Women.
What would be in Amber Glenn’s Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair?
Glenn told Variety she has already been thinking about what her own Secret Lair could look like, though no release was announced. A Secret Lair is a limited Magic: The Gathering drop built around a small set of themed cards, often with special art or a celebrity tie-in.
Her ideas range from her dog to her skating career. Glenn said her dog, Ukkima, is named after “Ukkima, the Stalking Shadow,” but the all-black Schipperke also reminds her of Yoshimaru, another Magic card she likes to play.
She said some fans have suggested a red, white and blue Jeskai theme because of her U.S. skating career, but Glenn noted that she does not usually play Jeskai. She also floated skating-adjacent ideas such as a gold token or treasure token, while joking about whether reprinting Ancient Copper Dragon would be too much to ask.
Variety also reported that Glenn is considering a joke-style card called The Ice Dancer, described as a “human athlete” creature type, after it appeared during a MagicCon event. Glenn said someone later brought one to a Stars on Ice show, along with collector packs, because she could not attend the convention while performing.
How did Magic become Glenn’s third space?
Glenn said she began playing Magic in 2022. In the interview, she described local game stores as a place apart from both home and the rink, where she could socialize around Magic, board games or Dungeons & Dragons.
The rink may be friendly, she said, but it is still where she works. Magic gave her a separate social circle outside training, and the hobby escalated fast.
Glenn also said one of her early decks was built around “Jorn, God of Winter,” making Magic’s snow mechanics a natural fit for any themed project linked to her. Still, she told Variety she does not want a possible deck to focus too heavily on skating, saying she also wants it to reflect “strong queer women.”
That theme connects to “Their Magic Is Limitless,” the Secret Lair release Glenn attended the Wizards event to celebrate. Variety reported that the drop honors women in the Magic community and that 50% of the product price goes to the Global Fund for Women.
Glenn praised the collection’s version of Sol Ring, telling Variety she liked how the art nodded to the original card while presenting both delicacy and power. She said she would trust Wizards’ art directors with her own concept.
Celebrity Magic collaborations already have a high-profile precedent. Variety noted that Post Malone bought the one-of-a-kind “One Ring” card from Magic’s “The Lord of the Rings” set for $2 million in 2023 and has also worked with Wizards on a Post Malone-themed Secret Lair.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.