Teen Skier Lara Markthaler Takes South Africa to Olympics

When Lara Markthaler celebrates her Olympic debut this February, she'll be easy to spot on the slopes with her trademark pink hair and South African colors. The 18-year-old is one of five athletes making history as South Africa's largest Winter Olympics delegation ever.

South Africa hasn't sent anyone to the Winter Games since 2018. Now they're sending their strongest team yet, including Lara, who will compete in slalom and giant slalom skiing.

Born in Munich to a German father and South African mother, Lara had skis on her feet at just 18 months old. Her family moved to Canada when she was eight, where she discovered a different talent on the mountain: downhill biking.

She racked up six gold medals at Red Bull's prestigious Crankworx competitions. But when her parents asked her at 12 which sport to pursue seriously, Lara chose skiing because it offered an Olympic path.

Her family left everything behind in Canada and moved to Italy's Dolomites. Lara now trains six days a week, 180 days a year, while completing high school online.

Choosing which country to represent was easy. "I felt infinitely more connected to my South African heritage," Lara said, noting her family ties in Durban, Johannesburg, and Stellenbosch.

Her breakthrough came on her 18th birthday in 2025. At the World Championships, she placed 29th out of 115 competitors, securing the crucial top 30 finish needed to qualify for the Olympics.

She's improved dramatically since representing South Africa alone at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics. Today she boasts 33 FIS points in slalom, well below the 120 needed for Olympic qualification.

The Ripple Effect

Lara's journey is putting South Africa on the winter sports map. Peter Pilz, president of Snow Sports South Africa, calls her success incredible and credits her dedication to inspiring the entire national team.

The five athletes heading to Cortina represent different disciplines: Nicole Burger in skeleton, Matt Smith in cross-country skiing, Malica Malherbe in freestyle, and 17-year-old Thomas Weir in alpine. Each one is breaking ground for their country in winter sports.

Last week, Lara made her World Cup debut in Austria, calling it "an absolute eye-opening experience." She's carrying strong momentum into the Games, especially in slalom.

On February 15 and 18, the pink-haired teenager will race giant slalom and slalom, flying South Africa's flag at the highest level of winter sports and showing the world that champions can come from anywhere.