BORMIO, Italy, Feb 10 (Reuters) – Mexican alpine skier Lasse Gaxiola will have his mother for company in his Olympic debut, but she will not cheer him on from the finish area in Saturday’s giant slalom in Bormio because he will be three hours away preparing his own race.

Teenage Gaxiola’s mother is Sarah Schleper, 46, who will also ski under the Mexican flag in Cortina on Sunday, becoming the oldest alpine skier to compete in an Olympic Games and the first to appear in seven Games.

Additionally, Schleper and Gaxiola, 18, will become the first mother and son to compete in the same Winter Games.

The Olympic rings are seen before a women's alpine ski race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
The Olympic rings are seen before a women’s alpine ski race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

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“It’s hard because we’re in two different places,” said Schleper, a Colorado native. “It’s hard, but it’s also good because she can experience the Olympics as an individual instead of me telling her, ‘Oh, you have to exchange pins, you have to do this.’ I always try to give her too much advice. You can never stop being a mother and just being a teammate, so I’m a little excited that she’s not by my side all the time.”

Schleper competed in her first four Olympic Games as an American and represented Mexico in the next three after marrying her Mexican husband Federico and coming out of retirement in 2015. Her best finish was 10th place in the slalom in 2006.

“He (Lasse) is the same age I was at my first Olympic Games (in Nagano in 1998),” said Schleper, who was one of Mexico’s flag bearers at the opening ceremony in Milan-Cortina. “I’m very proud of him. He’s still a little snotty, but this experience will help him grow and understand how important this event is.”

NOT BEING WITH MOM A MIXED BLESSING

Gaxiola trained on the slopes of Bormio on Tuesday alongside Jamaican participant Henri Rivers IV and Kenyan Issa Laborde as they prepare to rub shoulders with elite riders on the Stelvio.

He says not having his mother there was a mixed blessing.

“In a way, I’m happy we’re apart because (having her) around puts a little more pressure on me,” he said. “Sometimes I wish she was here with me so we could experience everything together, but it helps me calm down a little.”

Gaxiola says he owes his talent for skiing to his mother.

“It feels great to be able to give back to her because she really taught me everything I know about skiing,” he said. “She’s been there my entire ski trip.”

Schleper said she cried when she saw Lasse on a screen during the opening ceremony and said she remembered her when she experienced her first Games in Nagano.

“My first Olympics were a mix of excitement and ignorance. It’s like this was all destiny,” she said.