Fifteen-year-old Abby Winterberger, who grew up in Truckee, departed for Italy on Tuesday and is the youngest athlete on Team USA.
Winterberger doesn’t remember a time before skiing. Her parents put her on skis before she turned two, immersing her early in mountain life.
“I’ve kind of been immersed in the ski culture forever,” Abby said.
By the age of six, she was already competing, not only in skiing, but also in gymnastics. Her mother, Rosemary Winterberger, said it quickly became clear her daughter had a combination of talent and drive.
“She was throwing flips on the skis at a really young age,” Rosemary said. “She was super dedicated and hardworking and really loved it.”
At just seven years old, Abby joined the Olympic Valley Freestyle Freeride Team and has trained with the same coach ever since. When she was 12, she made the decision to give up on gymnastics to focus fully on skiing.
Today, Abby’s daily life looks very different from most teenagers. In between classes, she’s usually training or competing, sometimes overseas.
“I do online school, so that helps a lot. It's definitely still a lot to juggle with my social life, my school life, and I guess my professional life would be my skiing. But that's also just like the fun part,” she said.
That balancing act has already carried her to the Olympics. Abby earned her spot in the Winter Games by finishing as the top-placing U.S. woman at the final Olympic halfpipe qualifier, supported by strong international results throughout the season.
Abby says she doesn’t feel overwhelmed by pressure.
“I’m the rookie of the team, so I don’t really have to prove myself,” she said. “I don’t have to win a gold medal. I’m just here for the ride and trying to get the best result.”
Her family is with her overseas, from training days in Switzerland to the opening ceremonies in Milan. Her mother says staying close has always been intentional.
“She is only 15, and she’s very independent and very mature,” Rosemary said. “But we just like to be close, just in case she needs us.”
For Abby, staying grounded means approaching the Olympics like any other competition.
“Obviously, I’m going to get some nerves and feel a little pressure,” she said. “But it’s really just one competition,” Abby said. “I want to do my best, but it’s not the end of the world.”
Abby Winterberger will compete in halfpipe qualifiers on Feb. 19. If she advances, she’ll compete in the finals on Feb. 21.
