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Olympic gold medalist eileen gu on embracing fear and changing the game .
The night before Eileen Gu spoke to an audience of CEOs at YPO ’s EDGE, she finished her Stanford University class in Palo Alto, California, USA at 8:30 p.m. — she is currently taking classes in both International Relations and Quantum Physics — before flying to New York City. The next day she had a photo shoot for a fashion magazine lined up and was then flying back to California for two days of ski training before her first class on Monday. She also had to finish a 12-page midterm before the weekend was over.
It’s a slightly daunting schedule, but fairly typical for the 19-year-old. Not shy of a challenge, Gu became the youngest freeskiing Olympic medalist during the 2022 Beijing games, winning gold medals in big air and half pipe and a silver in slopestyle. Her sport requires her to perform elaborate tricks, flips and twists in the air. Understanding how her mind works and recognizing and quantifying her fear in a meaningful way allows her to make informed decisions she says, and has been essential to embracing fear in her sport and in life.
I think it’s important to both do well and do good, To have a purpose greater than what you pursue, and to find meaningful work within that for yourself and for the community around you globally. ” — Olympic medalist Eileen Gu share
“It’s biologically counterintuitive to make yourself do something physically dangerous, right? I’m going to feel nervous no matter how well prepared I am. But that sense of discomfort can be found in every walk of life. It’s knowing when to push and when to stop. That can save your life, and it can be the difference between an Olympic gold medal or not.”
During the Olympic finals for big air, she was sitting in third place after already performing her two best tricks. To grab the gold, she’d need to pull off something big, like a double cork 1620 (a four-and-a-half rotation trick). This was a huge leap in difficulty, and she’d never practiced it. Still, she decided to go for it.
“There was this little voice in the back of my head telling me I had this immense opportunity in my hands and this immense platform to do something great with it … if I didn’t try, I’d regret it far more. It’s much worse to not try than to fall,” she says.
A multi-faceted generation
Gu takes her role as a globally recognized athlete seriously. For instance, despite being U.S.-born and trained, she decided to represent China in the 2022 games because she felt she could have a bigger impact in building up the sport, especially among girls.
“I think it’s important to both do well and do good,” she says. “To have a purpose greater than what you pursue, and to find meaningful work within that for yourself and for the community around you globally.”
For Gu, sports are a shared human experience where people can see beyond nationality, gender, age and culture to connect, inspire and celebrate innovation together.
And while she says 99% of the messages she receives on social media are positive notes of thanks and encouragement, like most famous people, especially famous teens, she receives messages of criticism and even hate messages. Despite her youth, she has a mature way of looking at the negativity.
“Some people are not the people you’re trying to talk to, especially when you are someone that they don’t know, because it’s very easy for them to project their own thoughts onto you like a mirror. In that sense, there’s nothing I can do,” she says. “What I can do is spread positivity, teach people about things that I love, share joy and uplift those who are willing to be uplifted.”
As evidenced by her packed schedule, she sees no issue in continuing her pursuit of varying interests — a trait she shares with fellow Gen Zers.
“[We’re] multifaceted and willing to explore different aspects of [our] identities in tandem instead of fitting into these boxes that society has made for [us] already,” she says. “So why not? Why not be a skier and a model and a student? Why not enjoy physics and international relations and art history and be a food connoisseur and all these things that I love? The world is our oyster.”
Eileen Gu addressed business leaders at EDGE, YPO’s premier annual event and the largest gathering of CEOs in the world. For three days in New York City, more than 2,500 chief executives from 80 countries gather with influential thought leaders and experts to learn about and discuss critical topics in business and beyond. EDGE fosters a culture of trust, respect and inclusivity, where global leaders emerge with solutions to drive change and help shape our collective future. YPO EDGE returns to New York City in 2023 and 2024 and is open to all YPO members. Learn more about EDGE
Interested in joining this dynamic group of global leaders? Explore YPO membership here
By Mary Mack
Mary Mack is a writer and digital content strategist. She earned her news-editorial journalism degree from the University of Illinois…
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