Aussie Skier Kyra Wheatley Makes Olympic Dream Come True

Since she was 10 years old, Kyra Wheatley told anyone who would listen that she was going to the Olympics. Now, with tears of joy in her eyes, the 22-year-old Australian is standing at the starting gate in Livigno, Italy, ready to race.

Wheatley is Australia's only ski cross athlete at the 2026 Winter Olympics, competing in one of winter sports' most thrilling events. Ski cross sends four racers down a mountain course at the same time, navigating jumps and tight turns in a chaotic battle where anything can happen.

"The faster it is the better, and the bigger the jumps," Wheatley said with a grin. "The higher the heart rate, the more fun it is, honestly."

She wasn't always a ski cross specialist. Back in 2019, Wheatley finished third at Australia's national championships in both slalom and giant slalom at Perisher, showing real talent in alpine racing.

But the call of speed and airtime proved impossible to resist. Ski cross offered everything she loved: the velocity of downhill racing combined with the technical challenge of moguls, all while racing inches away from competitors.

"It's a mix of speed and jumping and people next to you," Wheatley explained. "Every single course is completely different, even when there's different athletes next to you."

The journey to the Olympics hasn't been smooth. A knee injury knocked her out of the 2025 World Championships shortly after making her World Cup debut last February.

Her parents watch from home with understandable nerves as their daughter launches off massive jumps surrounded by other skiers. "I've heard that they get pretty nervous whenever it's race days," Wheatley said. "But I try to tell the family at the end of the day that I'm all good, I'll go again tomorrow."

Why This Inspires

Wheatley's story reminds us that childhood dreams don't have to stay dreams. She spent over a decade declaring her Olympic intentions, then put in the work to make it happen despite setbacks and injuries.

Her approach to life on the edge is refreshingly honest. She admits the danger is part of the appeal, that crashes happen, and that her sport looks even more chaotic on TV than it feels in real life.

With teammate Josie Baff's recent gold medal in snowboard cross still fresh, Wheatley has both inspiration and insider knowledge. The courses are similar, and Baff has been sharing tips about the features and conditions.

"Watching Josie race was amazing and so thrilling. I was in tears when I saw her come down," Wheatley said.

Now ranked 31st in the world with a season-best finish of 27th, Wheatley knows upsets happen all the time in ski cross. That's the beauty of the sport: when four people are racing together at high speed, anything is possible.

That 10-year-old girl who dreamed of Olympic glory is about to get her moment.