Sarah Schleper and her son Lasse Gaxiola are poised to become the first mother-and-son duo to compete at the same Winter Olympics, representing Mexico at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games. Schleper, a seven-time Olympian, will race in women's super-G and giant slalom, while Gaxiola makes his debut in men's giant slalom and slalom. The pair's shared passion for alpine skiing highlights a unique family milestone.
In Bormio, Italy, ahead of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, Sarah Schleper and her 18-year-old son Lasse Gaxiola prepare to etch their names in history. Schleper, who turns 47 on February 19, has competed in seven Olympic Games, first debuting for the United States in 1998 at Nagano and later for Mexico in 2018 Pyeongchang and 2022 Beijing after gaining citizenship through marriage to Federico Gaxiola de la Lama. Her best Olympic finish was 10th in slalom at the 2006 Turin Games for Team USA.
The duo's story traces back to December 29, 2011, when Schleper, on her final World Cup run before retiring from the U.S. team, carried her then 3-year-old son down a slalom course in Lienz, Austria, wearing a dress over a swimsuit. "What’s really special is, like, my last race as an American, I carried him down, because I was basically the only mother on tour," Schleper told The Athletic. That playful moment foreshadowed their joint Olympic journey.
At Milan Cortina, women's events, including Schleper's super-G on Thursday and giant slalom on Sunday, will occur in Cortina d’Ampezzo, while men's races, featuring Gaxiola's giant slalom on Saturday and slalom on Monday, are set in Bormio, about four hours away. Logistics pose challenges, but Schleper hopes to travel after her giant slalom to watch her son's slalom. Her husband will coach Lasse, with Schleper serving as his ski technician from afar.
"This is hard to believe. It’s just a fantasy story," Schleper said, according to AP News. For Gaxiola, named after Norwegian ski great Lasse Kjus, the experience is surreal. "It’s like surreal, kind of seeing that photo and then being here with her," he said. He recently finished third in a FIS giant slalom in Colorado and credits his mother's influence, recalling her advice in fourth grade: "You have to send it."
Schleper, the oldest female alpine skier in Olympic history, remains competitive, with a top-five FIS super-G finish last season and two FIS giant slalom wins in 2024. As Mexico's flag bearer at the opening ceremony on February 6, she met President Claudia Sheinbaum, who presented the team with the flag. "For me, success is just us both being here," Schleper noted. Gaxiola echoed the sentiment: "Doing it with my mom makes it even more special for me."
Olympic historian Bill Mallon confirms they are the first such mother-son pair in Winter Games history. Schleper's coach is Hubertus Von Hohenlohe, a 67-year-old German prince who has raced for Mexico.
