Olympic Skier Ryan Cochran-Siegle Chases Family Legacy

For six-year-old Ryan Cochran-Siegle, waiting 150 days for Vermont's first snowfall felt like an eternity, but the moment he could finally return to his family's ski area made every second worth it.

Ryan grew up at Cochran's Ski Area in Starksboro, Vermont, a nonprofit ski hill founded and operated by his family. His mom, Barbara Cochran, won Olympic gold in slalom at the 1972 Winter Olympics and later taught local children through the "Ski Tots at Cochran's" program.

Barbara strapped Ryan into his first pair of skis at age two, teaching him the basics before he could even remember. "Her philosophy was always 'if you can walk, you can ski,'" Ryan told NBC Sports with a smile.

But his mom wasn't his only teacher. Ryan learned alongside his older cousin Robby Kelley, who pushed him to improve every day on the slopes.

"Robby was always a better skier than me and a ways further along in his development," Ryan reflected. "I was never focused on getting beat or beating him. I was just trying to learn and keep up."

The cousins spent countless winter days building jumps, racing side by side, and lapping the t-bar together. It was an elite skiing daycare disguised as family fun.

That childhood passion led Ryan all the way to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, where he won silver in men's super-G. He followed in his mother's footsteps, bringing home another Olympic medal to the Cochran family nearly 50 years after Barbara's gold.

Why This Inspires

Ryan's story shows how family support and accessible programs can nurture Olympic dreams. Cochran's Ski Area continues providing affordable skiing lessons to Vermont children, proving that world-class athletes can emerge from community-focused spaces.

The 25-minute drive from home that once seemed endless to young Ryan now represents a lifetime journey from family ski hill to Olympic podium. And at 31, he's still chasing the fastest run of his life, fueled by the same excitement he felt gripping that rope tow as a kid.