Eileen Gu: “The injuries instilled some doubt in me for a period of time”
Gu arrives at these Games intent on channelling every ounce of her energy after a turbulent few seasons.
A combination of injuries and academic commitments — including her studies at Stanford and a term abroad in the UK — limited her time on the slopes and shook her confidence in ways she had not experienced before.
“It has been tough. I do full-time school, which I have zero regret about, as I’ve had the most fantastic time doing that. and also did a wonderful quarter at Oxford. But the injuries really set me back and damaged my confidence a little, and maybe instilled some doubt in me for a period of time.”
Yet rather than using those setbacks as an excuse, she used them as fuel for a remarkable comeback. She returned to the World Cup circuit in style in December, claiming a halfpipe win in Secret Garden, before securing her 20th World Cup title, a slopestyle event in Laax, last month.
In a recent social media post titled “Homecoming,” Gu wrote candidly about realising that while skiing is not her identity, it is one of the arenas in which she feels most fulfilled.
“Entering this Olympic season, I started to find myself again, which that journal entry was about. Those recent wins were not about the records, but feeling as though I had returned to a state of self that really reflected my identity and who I am. That resonance is what made me feel like homecoming. I’ve let go of the suffering, and I come into this Olympics feeling light and ready and excited. I don’t mind the pressure. It’s just energy, right? So if you have more energy, it’s a good thing.
“Skiing is not who I am, it’s what I do, but it is what makes me feel most alive because it is the embodiment of all the values that I judge myself by. It’s the resilience. It’s the pursuit of excellence. It is pushing the human limit. Using a platform to inspire others.”
