Mother and Son Will Ski for Mexico at Same Olympics

When Sarah Schleper takes to the slopes in Italy next month, she'll have the best training partner imaginable cheering from the starting gate: her teenage son.

Lasse Gaxiola, 17, just earned his spot on Mexico's five-person Winter Olympics team, where he'll compete in alpine skiing alongside his mother at the Milan-Cortina Games from February 6 to 22. They're the first mother-son pair in Mexican Olympic history.

Sarah's journey to this moment spans nearly three decades. The Colorado native competed for Team USA in four Winter Olympics starting in 1998, earning her best finish of 10th place in slalom at the 2006 Turin Games.

After marrying Mexican coach Federico Gaxiola and obtaining Mexican citizenship in 2015, she came out of retirement to represent Mexico. She competed for her adopted country in 2018 and 2022, and Milan-Cortina will mark her seventh Olympic appearance.

Eight years ago, Sarah told reporters she was "extremely proud of being Mexican" and mentioned that young Lasse, not even 10 at the time, was already training with the team during summers. When asked if he might compete for Mexico someday, she said there was "an opportunity there," though he wasn't sure about becoming a racer yet.

Now that opportunity has arrived. Lasse secured his Olympic berth through International Ski Federation rankings after competing in junior and FIS-level races across Europe. He splits time between Mexico City and ski resorts around the world with his family.

Why This Inspires

Only one other mother-son duo has competed together in the same event at the same Olympics: Georgian pistol shooters Nino Salukvadze and Tsotne Machavariani at the 2016 Rio Summer Games. At the Winter Games, only one other parent-child pair has achieved this feat: Venezuelan lugers Werner and Christopher Hoeger in 2002.

Sarah's persistence shows that athletic dreams don't have expiration dates. At 46, she'll be just one Olympic appearance shy of the all-time record of eight held by two athletes in Winter Games history.

Mexico's tiny winter sports delegation also includes alpine skiers Regina Martínez and Allan Corona, plus figure skater Donovan Carrillo. While the country may not be known for snow sports, families like the Gaxiolas are building a legacy one run at a time.

When Lasse and Sarah line up at the starting gate in Italy, they'll prove that the best competition is the kind that brings families together.