Calacus Monthly Hit & Miss – 'Snow Princess' Eileen Gu
Every month we look at the best and worst communicators in the sports world from the last few weeks.
EILEEN GU
Eileen Gu, known as the "snow princess" of freestyle skiing, is one of a growing band of young athletes looking to use their platform for the benefit of society.
At only 21 years of age, she has achieved what many can only dream of, becoming a double Olympic gold medallist, world champion and one of the highest paid female athletes in the world.
In the past two years, Gu has overcome injury and deepened her philanthropic commitments, particularly through her involvement with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.
Reflecting on her achievements and aspirations, she remains focused about her ultimate goal: to use her platform as an athlete to lead change, empower young people, and promote inclusivity through sport.
That determination came to the fore when Gu, born and raised in the United States, decided to switch allegiance to China, the birthplace of her mother, ahead of the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Despite the inevitable controversy, she used the opportunity to promote a message of understanding in sport.
“This was an incredibly tough decision for me to make,” Gu wrote in a post on Instagram.
“I am proud of my heritage, and equally proud of my American upbringings. The opportunity to help inspire millions of young people where my mom was born, during the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help to promote the sport I love.”
She later said that she hoped "to help inspire millions of young people… to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations.”
Competing in Beijing held deep personal significance for Gu, whose mother was born there. "Being able to compete in Beijing was so special and what a dream come true it was," she said.
She delivered one of the most iconic moments of her young career by landing a trick she had never even trained before — the double cork 1620, a complex aerial move involving four-and-a-half mid-air spins.
It secured her a historic Olympic gold for China in the Big Air event, a moment which also sparked an explosion in winter sports' popularity across China.
Post-Olympics, Gu witnessed firsthand the transformative power of sport, with over 350 million people in China trying winter sports for the first time. "That number is absolutely staggering and is just a testament to what the power of sport really is," she reflected. "It can make people healthier, happier individuals and teach them lessons outside of the classroom."
"I'm focusing on using my voice and the platform that I got from the Olympics to be able to continue promoting skiing and a healthy lifestyle that includes changing beauty standards, promoting confidence and health instead of starving yourself or not being able to go outside. – Gu told Xinhua.
But her impact extends beyond her Olympic feats.
As the 2023 Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year, she sees her success as a call to action. "This [the Laureus Award] is a symbol of all the hard work, the beauty, the tears and the pain but also the joy that goes into everything sports are," she said. "I want to dedicate the Award to all the young people out there because someone has to lead change in this world — why not us?"
Growing up in a male-dominated sport, Gu’s achievements represent more than personal success — they symbolize breaking barriers. "Going from age nine and being the only girl on my entire ski team to now holding e most wins of any man or woman in free skiing is something that I was really proud of," she said.
Despite injuries and the pressures of balancing a full-time student workload, a burgeoning fashion career, and elite-level sport, Gu remains resilient.
It is her commitment to being a role model that stands out most. "Since I was literally 12 years old, I gave my first speech on women in sports," she recalled. That early passion evolved into a personal mission: "To introduce more girls to the world of action sports, in winter sports in particular."
Her work with Laureus underscores her belief in sport as a force for unity and education. Quoting Nelson Mandela, she said, "Sport has the power to change the world, and I truly believe that."
Gu sees sport as a vehicle to "create a more hopeful, peaceful, and inclusive world," a mission she shares wholeheartedly with Laureus, who appointed her as an ambassador this spring. "That’s my goal and that’s Laureus's goal," she said. "Really looking forward to ….be able to spread that message for as long as I’m skiing and beyond."
As Gu continues her journey — on snow, in classrooms, on fashion runways, and in boardrooms — her voice grows ever more influential. She is redefining what it means to be an athlete in the modern age: not just winning titles, but changing lives.