Going into her third Winter Olympic Games, Canadian freestyle skier, Cassie Sharpe, is expecting there to be a much different vibe in Italy than she experienced at either of her last two Olympic appearances.
“I went into the 2018 Games kind of just, like, hot headed,” recalls Sharpe of her first Olympics experience.
“I put a lot of value on podiuming there and I was kind of like, if I don’t win, like what have I done? Like, why am I … here?”
Sharpe left Pyeongchang with a gold medal in the women’s half-pipe event.
Then, a few years later, in January of 2021, the Calgary-born skier tore up her knee and broke her femur at the X Games in Aspen, Colorado.
Almost miraculously, however, she found her way back on to the Canadian Olympic team the very next year and headed to Beijing in February of 2022 with a new lease on her skiing career and a different outlook on the Games.
“Well, I’ve come back from an injury, kind of just like, let’s have fun, let’s enjoy it,” said Sharpe of her thoughts going into the 2022 Games, where she won a silver medal.
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After Beijing, Sharpe quickly settled in to domestic life as a newlywed with husband and fellow Olympic freestyle skier, Justin Dorey.
In August of 2023, the couple welcomed daughter, Louella, who gave Sharpe a whole new perspective on competing.
“I was a bit too laser focused, and now I can kind of see a bit more,” explained Sharpe of what’s it’s now like having Louella waiting for her at the bottom of a run. “It was more fun to be in the half pipe and come down and see my family at the finish corral.”
“She was just happy to be there and all these beautiful experiences that I’ve gotten to have with my family, just by chasing this dream has been really cool, and it’s completely changed the way that I compete,” Sharpe added.
That’s why going into her third Winter Olympic Games this month, Sharpe has yet another perspective of what these Games mean to her.
“I want to enjoy Italy with my family and enjoy the experience of the Olympics,” said Sharpe, who added that having a family of her own has made her feel ‘whole’, as person.
“I’ve got all these beautiful golden moments that I have in day-to-day life that even if — you know, I’m a competitive person — but even if I don’t podium, I still have this beautiful life that I’ve created outside of sport.”
Canada’s Cassie Sharpe competes during the women’s World Cup freeski halfpipe event in Calgary, on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
For Sharpe, many of those “beautiful golden moments” are made up of time spent outdoors with Louella, her family and her friends, whether it’s going to the park, hiking or skiing.
And now, as the Milano Cortina Games are just about upon us, she’s working alongside the Canadian Olympic Committee, in partnership with Corona Cero, to inspire other Canadians to also grab their own ‘golden moments’ outdoors.
“I really love that they’re really pushing for this, (to) disconnect through nature. Like, when I’m skiing, I’m not on my phone, I’m not distracted, I’m locked in, I’m skiing,” said Sharpe.
The partnership is also helping remove financial barriers to get people outdoors by offering 1,000 Canadians the chance to claim free ski or snowboard passes to one of three Canadian ski resorts, including Alberta’s own Lake Louise Ski Resort, which will also be hosting Olympic Games watch parties.
Sharpe is expecting to experience many more golden moments at her third Winter Games, but she says they have nothing to do with what colour medal she may or may not bring home this time.
“It’s this crazy, beautiful, big thing, and I just want to go and have fun and enjoy it and I know it’s not going to last forever, so soak up every moment.”
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
