Community

‘Bigger than my wildest dreams’: Three local athletes share their experience skiing at the Winter Olympics

Aspen Public Radio | By Eleanor Bennett

Published March 10, 2022 at 8:12 PM MST

Olympic rookies Hanna Faulhaber and Hailey Swirbul, who are alumni of the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club, celebrate after Faulhaber’s halfpipe debut. The 17-year-old Basalt resident finished sixth in women’s halfpipe skiing. China’s Eileen Gu won gold.

Local freestyle skiers Alex Ferreira and Hanna Faulhaber and cross-country skier Hailey Swirbul competed in the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing last month.

Ferreira, who grew up in Aspen, took home a bronze medal for Team USA in the men’s ski halfpipe.

“To have people rooting for me that I don’t know is bigger than my wildest dreams,” said Ferreira, 27. “Bringing home a medal is like a cherry on top, in my eyes.”

In 2018, he won silver in his first Olympic appearance.

Aspen’s Alex Ferreira earned third place in the men’s freeski halfpipe at this year’s Winter Olympics, behind David Wise of Nevada and New Zealand’s Nico Porteous, who won gold. The same trio was on the halfpipe podium in 2018, when Ferreira took home silver in his first Olympic debut. — Aspen’s Alex Ferreira took third in the men’s ski halfpipe at this year’s Winter Olympics. New Zealand’s Nico Porteous and American David Wise, from Nevada, won the gold and silver, respectively. The same trio was on the halfpipe podium in 2018, when Ferreira took home silver in his Olympic debut.

Basalt resident and Olympic rookie Hanna Faulhaber finished sixth in the women’s halfpipe. The 17-year-old has been making waves skiing the superpipe over the past year, starting with her fourth-place finish at the world championships last spring in Aspen.

In December, Faulhaber earned her first major podium, finishing third at the Dew Tour at Copper Mountain. She won bronze in her X Games debut in January.

“All of the podiums that I had throughout the season were just shocking, and I don’t think that any of them have really hit me yet,” she said. “Honestly, I’m just happy with how I skied and I gave it my all.”

Freestyle skier Alex Ferreira took home bronze at the Olympics after withdrawing from the X Games this January. Despite gusty winds and cold temperatures in Beijing, and a recent spinal surgery, the 27-year-old secured a spot on the Olympic podium for a second time in his career.

El Jebel resident Hailey Swirbul made her Olympic debut last month in three cross-country ski events. The 23-year-old led the first leg of the course on the U.S. women’s 4x5-kilometer relay team, which finished sixth. Swirbul's teammates were Jessie Diggins, Rosie Brennan and Novie McCabe.

In Swirbul’s first two events, she finished 32nd out of 98 in the women’s 10-km classic and 40th out of 62 in the 7.5-km + 7.5-km skiathlon.

“A medal was way out of reach for me this year unless it was in a relay-team event, where our team actually did have a shot,” she said. “I’m not leaving disappointed in my efforts or my results.”

Cross-country skier Hailey Swirbul kicks off her first Olympic 4x5-kilometer relay. The 23-year-old from El Jebel competed on the U.S. women’s team alongside Jessie Diggins, Rosie Brennan and Novie McCabe. The relay foursome came in sixth place, behind the Russian team, who won gold. — Cross-country skier Hailey Swirbul kicks off the 4x5-kilometer relay at last month's Olympic Games. The 23-year-old from El Jebel competed on the U.S. women’s team alongside Jessie Diggins, Rosie Brennan and Novie McCabe. The foursome came in sixth place. The Russian Olympic Committee team won gold.

Aspen Public Radio talked with Ferreira, Faulhaber and Swirbul about their experience competing in the Winter Olympics and growing up skiing with the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club.

Listen to the conversation above.