Olympic Skiing Legend Eileen Gu Takes On Boxing at 22

The world's most decorated freestyle skier just traded her poles for boxing gloves, and she couldn't be more excited about it.

Eileen Gu became a six-time Olympic medalist after sweeping all three events at Milano Cortina 2026, taking gold in halfpipe plus silver in Big Air and slopestyle. Now the 22-year-old is channeling that same fearless energy into an entirely new challenge: learning to box.

"As a practice to myself, I often push myself to look stupid, or try something new just for the sake of it," Gu told Olympics.com at the Laureus World Sports Awards. She's not claiming to be an expert in the ring. That's exactly the point.

Gu noticed something troubling about how many girls approach new activities. After a certain age, they shy away from trying things because they worry about embarrassment. So she decided to model something different: embracing the awkwardness that comes with being a beginner.

The Stanford student will return to campus this fall to continue her double major in international relations and quantum physics. She describes school as feeling like "summer camp all the time" because she gets to learn purely for fun.

Her 2025 wasn't easy. Gu suffered injuries and what she called "the worst concussion I've ever experienced." But she kept writing through it all, filling journal pages with essays about womanhood, sports, fulfillment and failure.

Why This Inspires: Gu's willingness to be a beginner shows something powerful about growth. She's already reached the top of her sport, graced red carpets worldwide, and co-hosted major awards shows with tennis legend Novak Djokovic. Yet she still chooses discomfort over coasting on past achievements. Her message resonates especially for young women who feel pressure to only show up when they're already good at something.

The freestyle skiing champion doesn't know what her future holds beyond the next few years. "My main goal is to make the world a better place in whatever method is most applicable to me at the time," she explained. Right now that's through fashion and sports, but she's open to entirely different paths a decade from now.

She tracks themes in her life through writing, watching how they progress over time. Those journal entries give her perspective on her journey, from Olympic triumph to classroom curiosity to awkward first boxing sessions.

After a golden 2026 season that redefined Olympic freestyle skiing, Gu has plenty more essays left to write.