TRUCKEE, Calif. – Though the discipline has changed from gymnastics to skiing, 15-year-old Abby Winterberger’s Olympic dream hasn’t.

The five rings have been on her mind since around five years old, and the long-awaited, hard-earned dream became a reality after she landed her first competition run of the Jan. 10 Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Aspen Snowmass in Colorado.

“That was the best run I’ve ever landed in a comp,” the Truckee resident said, “I didn’t really care about the result, I was just so glad that I finally landed that run.”

Not only was it her best run, it was her highest score of the season, and the score that solidified her spot in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

“It hit me and it’s so many emotions at once,” Winterberger remembers, feeling lucky to represent the Truckee community she grew up in.

Winterberger heads to the Olympics as the Freeski Halfpipe U.S. National Champion after her performance made her the top U.S. women at the Aspen grand prix, finishing 6^th in deep field of elite international competitors. The event tallies as her third top 10 finish in the competitive season so far.

At such a young age, not only is her Olympic qualification impressive, but so is the road she took to get there. As a team member of the Olympic Valley Freestyle Freeride Team (OVFree), Winterberger is the only club-level freeski athlete to qualify directly to the Olympic Winter Games, bypassing the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Rookie and Pro Team pathways.

When you ask her what her secret is, Winterberger will humbly tell you hard work and going to all the training camps.

It’s something her OVFree Head Freeski Coach Cooper Davidson has witnessed since she joined the club at seven years old.

“Abby’s dedication, progression, and fearlessness in the pipe have been incredible to watch,” said Davidson, ecstatic to see her represent OVFree and Team USA on the Olympic stage. “She’s earned this nomination through grit, consistency, and an ever-growing competitive presence.”

Her first time hitting the slopes was at two years old, though Winterberger says, “I don’t remember my first time being on skis, but I remember when I started really loving the sport.”

It was around nine years old, surrounded by best friends on OVFree and her brother, Mack Winterberger, who she’s skied with all her life, and competing in halfpipe when the passion clicked.

Prior to halfpipe she competed in gymnastics, which she says built her foundation for skiing. Winterberger then started competing in moguls, which grew her air awareness. But after trying halfpipe for the first time around eight years old, she was hooked and never stopped.

Now competing at such a high level, she maintains the dynamics that first sparked her fervor by continuing to ski and compete with her brother, and best friend, Keva, “and just not taking it so seriously,” she says, “is what really helps me have as much fun as I can.”

Whether it’s landing a new trick, grab or even improving by just one thing, she celebrates these moments no matter how small. That doesn’t mean she isn’t aiming high.

“I want to do the best I can,” she says, “so that usually means getting the best result.”

The love for the sport and pushing herself to be the best she can is what drives her, “whether that’s qualifying for the Olympics,” she says, “or inspiring the younger generation to start half pipe skiing or even mogul skiing or just skiing with their friends, having fun.”

With longtime coach Cooper at the start gate, family and friends cheering her on, she will compete in the Olympic freeski halfpipe competition on Feb. 19. She’ll join the U.S. Olympic Team on Feb. 6 for the opening ceremonies and then go to Switzerland for training prior to the competition.

Although the reality of the Olympics hasn’t fully set it, Winterberger says, “It’s almost like a sigh of relief because I know that I’ve already made it here.”

Her focus now is on landing a good run.