Madison Chock Reveals the Comfort Item She and Evan Bates Brought from Their Home to the 2026 Winter Olympics (Exclusive)
- - Madison Chock Reveals the Comfort Item She and Evan Bates Brought from Their Home to the 2026 Winter Olympics (Exclusive)
Natasha DyeFebruary 17, 2026 at 7:13 AM
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Madison Chock and Evan Bates on Feb. 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy
Matthew Stockman/Getty
Madison Chock reveals that she and her husband Evan Bates brought "our favorite blanket from our sofa" to the Winter Olympics with them
The blanket is also a favorite of the couple's two toy poodles, Henry and Stella
Chock, an ambassador for Lilly's Team USA Recovery Program, tells PEOPLE she also brought "all of" her recovery tools to Milan
Madison Chock and Evan Bates brought a very special item from their Montreal home to the Winter Olympics.
Chock, 33, tells PEOPLE that she and Bates, 36, added "a few things from home" to their packing list while preparing to compete in the 2026 Milan Games, where they took silver in ice dance and won gold in the team event.
The Olympian, an ambassador for Lilly as the company launches its Team USA Recovery Program, says the most sentimental item in their Olympic Village room is "our favorite blanket from our sofa, one that's also our dogs' favorite blanket...and a couple of our favorite pillows."
Madison Chock and Evan Bates on Feb. 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy
Gabriel BOUYS / AFP via Getty
Chock and Bates are proud pet parents to two toy poodles, Henry and Stella, who Chock says "love laying on" the blanket the couple brought along with them. The pup didn't make it to Milan, but are being cared for back in Montreal by a "wonderful" dog sitter who's "been taking great care of them," the athlete says.
Chock also made sure to bring "all of" her recovery tools to Italy, "just to make sure I'm feeling my best and able to put out my best performance."
"Recovery is super important to me because it's just taking care of my wellbeing," Chock says, emphasizing the importance of both physical and mental wellbeing.
"I think as a young athlete, I wasn't always aware how much my mental health impacted my performance. That's something I certainly learned later on in my career as I matured, and I realized that it wasn't just a physical game. It's actually more mental than it is physical," Chock shares.
"Of course, you have to be in great physical health and prioritize that, but your mental health is also incredibly important. Without your mental health, you can't perform physically at your best."
Having her husband by her side helps, says Chock. "Evan and I are so lucky to have each other in competition because it really is high stakes at times, and the stress can get to you."
She adds, "But we really have a strong support system between the two of us and are able to check in with each other often and make sure that we're both doing well. And if one of us is struggling, the other one is there to always help and lend a hand."
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Milan Cortina Olympics and Paralympics, beginning Feb. 6, on NBC and Peacock.
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