Zoe Atkin on overcoming fear on and off the slopes
Trench BURBERRY, belt ZARA.
Zoe Atkin, an Olympic Skier for Team Great Britain, epitomizes the dedication and determination required to be a gold medalist, shaped by her supportive family and role model sister. Her journey not only highlights her achievements but also compels the importance of mental health in competitive sports, inspiring the next generation of female freestyle skiers.
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From the moment Zoe Atkin could walk, she was chasing the snow. Growing up on the East Coast, her passion for skiing was inevitable. Her weekends were a blur of four-and-a-half-hour drives to the slopes, where she never missed an opportunity to ski. “We were religious about it, never skipping a weekend,” she recalls. In fact, Atkin’s earliest memories include finding tiny jumps on the trails, seeking air, and teaching herself tricks. “I always wanted to be in the air. I was obsessed.”
Alongside her older sister, Izzy, Atkin’s family moved to Park City, Utah, on a whim and a dream — to live out their passion on the slopes. Her journey into professional skiing began at the tender age of nine, inspired by her first competition. Little did she know, years later, Atkin would be an X Games gold medalist and an Olympian for Team Great Britain.
Her parents, immigrants from Malaysia and Great Britain, instilled in Atkin a unique influence to train pragmatically. “I didn’t have huge goals to become a professional skier, but I just progressed. My next goal became a bigger next goal, which became a bigger next goal. Then, all of a sudden, I realized, ‘I could totally go to the Olympics. That would be crazy.’”
Now a 21-year-old Olympic athlete competing in the halfpipe event, Atkin has fallen in love with freestyle skiing. From winning gold at the 2023 X Games in Aspen to being a two time world champion medalist, Atkin’s journey to the top has been exhilarating. It’s also been a testament to the sacrifices and support of her tight knit family. “I owe everything to my parents, who moved us across the country so my sister and I could pursue our dreams. They always believed in me,” she says.
As her career progressed, her schedule became anything but ordinary. “I basically just chase the snow year round. That’s my training regimen,” she jokes. Following the world cup circuit, she tracks the snow to train consistently throughout the season. Atkin trains in the southern hemisphere during the summer and travels to European glaciers in the fall, keeping her constantly on the move. She notes, it is the struggle of doing a niche sport.
Being a natural competitor is in her blood, she reflects, thanks to her older sister. “I grew up skiing with her. From an early age I was obsessed with trying to beat her.” Atkin favors the half-pipe event, inspired by her role model older sister, Izzy Atkin – a freestyle skiing standout who medaled at the 2018 Winter Olympics. “I grew up with my sister in my ear saying I would only be cool if I did freestyle skiing. I basically got forced into it,” she jokes. That competitive fire and sisterly support has since encouraged Atkin’s love and passion for the event.
The flow state of the halfpipe is what she craves. “I always loved being in the air. I really enjoy the flow state that it gives me. Once you’ve nailed a trick, the feeling of performing it is so unmatched. Your brain turns off, which is rare in skiing because it’s so chaotic. When you finally nail your trick it is so satisfying.”
While she admits she is not artistically inclined, she finds an important creative outlet in freestyle skiing. “I’m not good at drawing or painting, but skiing is one of the few places in my life where I can express creativity. I don’t think a lot of people see it like that because so much of it is performance-based and athletic, but inherently, freestyle skiing has an element of creativity that is so liberating.”
The last World Championship 2023 in Aspen was a moment where she needed the flow state the most. “On the day of the competition, I didn’t do a single one of my tricks during the hour of training before the competition. I was so stressed out,” she reflects.
But in her time of worry, she had one chance to get a last minute pep talk. “I called my sister at the top and I was just crying to her, minutes before my run. She told me, ‘Pull it together. You got this.’” With familial support and sisterly advice, Atkin pulled through. She took deep exhales and nailed every trick. “She gave me such needed assurance that day, and then I medaled at that event.”
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Atkin’s journey to performing at the Olympic level has been marked by intense mental health hardships. She battles anxiety and performance panic in her day-to-day life. For her, fear is simply a part of reality.
“Something I really struggle with is the mental side of the sport. People tend to assume that the people who do what I do are just adrenaline junkies and just crazy. Some are definitely like that. But I’m so surprised I have made it this far. I am still so afraid, which is normal. I mean, I’m throwing myself at a 22 foot tube of ice. It makes sense that I am afraid,” says Atkin.
Amid her ongoing battle with mental health, Atkin searches for meaning in the process. Despite being one of the world’s top young skiers, she still grapples with feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt like any 20 year old. Whether she’s facing spiraling anxiety just minutes before a competition or managing the emotional aftermath of post Olympic depression, she’s developed a routine to reset a toxic mindset. Alongside therapy and sports psychiatry, Atkin prioritizes her self care regimen. “I do affirmations in the morning because I think that’s integral to being in a grateful headspace. I want to be excited. I don’t want to dwell on negativity. I focus on the things I am excited to feel that day.”
Atkin is optimistic that mental health in sports is finally receiving the attention it deserves. With new athletic competitions and the International Olympic Committee implementing a comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan, the well-being of athletes is slowly becoming a top priority. These initiatives are addressing the immense psychological pressures that athletes like Atkin face, often pushed to their limits in the pursuit of medals. She finds it heartening that the industry is now fostering an environment where mental resilience is valued as much as physical prowess.
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Balancing the demands of elite sports is no easy feat, but Atkin has managed a new chapter in her life. Now an incoming junior at Stanford University, she’s found an identity that extends beyond her athletic achievements. “It’s important for me to remember that I exist outside of skiing. Before I came to Stanford, all of my time was spent skiing. It was hard to separate my sense of identity from the way I performed in my sport.”
Studying at Stanford has offered her an escape from the pressures of her sport and a deeper understanding of her own psyche. Her psychology classes, combined with insights from sports psychiatry, have taught her invaluable lessons about her cognition and mindset. “Through my struggles with the mental side of skiing, I’ve learned so much about the ability to overcome. That has translated for me throughout my life. The obstacles suck, but the characteristics and mindset you develop are so integral and important. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
When faced with the mental challenges of a hard competition or grueling training series, Atkin draws on these lessons to reframe fear and anxiety into intentions and outcomes. “I think of it more as a question I am asking myself, ‘What are the biological processes that are forcing me to have a racing heart or sweating palms?’ Or, ‘I am so excited to compete, look how my body is reacting and activating,’” Atkin says
Her mental resilience was put to test during what became the defining moment of her career. That is, when she won X games. On the surface, it was the culmination of decades of dedication, but the competition day represented much more — it marked a profound turning point in her life. At the time, she had just started her freshman year at Stanford, and it was the first competition after the 2022 Winter Olympics. Despite her successes, she was at her lowest point, pondering quitting the sport she’d devoted her entire life to throughout the previous season. She decided to give X Games a final shot. If she still felt a fire underneath her, she would continue the sport. If it only made her more sick and overwhelmed, she’d hang up her skis for good.
Leaving all expectations at the door, she put less pressure in her training and more love into the process, which paid off in the scoring. “It was one of those days that I never expected to win. It was the first year after the Olympics. I had a really hard time with post Olympic depression and struggled to find motivation to ski,” Atkin says.
In winning the X Games and overcoming her inner turmoil, Atkin rediscovered her true self: a girl who thrived on the challenge. “That really meant so much to me. It was a full circle moment. [X Games] was an event that I watched so much as a kid. It was crazy and a testament to stepping back. When you remember the love for what you do, instead of the results, you get to really enjoy it.”
Since her success at X Games, she’s noticed firsthand how freestyle skiing has evolved before her eyes. “I am seeing more young girls in the halfpipe event. It makes me so happy. That girlhood is really fun to watch.” Witnessing this new generation embrace the sport with the same passion she had as a child has reignited her love for skiing. It reminds her of the importance of being a role model and contributing to the growth of the sport she cherishes.
When it comes to technique, Atkin finds the level of skill in the halfpipe is rapidly advancing, particularly among the female athletes she competes with. “I think we are going to continue getting some good girls pushing the sport. We are going in an interesting direction. There are so many new girls that are going to kill it. I see a lot of style and smoothness. That variety and creativity is everything.”
Empowering young athletes to persevere is her core mission. This dedication became even more meaningful to her after a World Cup encounter a few years ago. “I got this one note at a World Cup I was at. This little girl came all the way to the event just to give me a note about how much I inspired her to start skiing. I never really think about the impact I have. I try not to put pressure on myself to be a strict example, but that note was a reminder that young girls look at me and believe they can do it too,” she says.
Top FRAME, skirt SOPHIA MARIE, necklace SWUÃR.
During the off-season, staying motivated can be difficult. Atkin acknowledges that social media often creates an unrealistic image of constant drive and enthusiasm. “With social media these days, you perceive people to be endlessly motivated. You look at how much stuff they’re doing and how happy they seem doing it. But truly, it is impossible to stay 100% motivated for something each day,” she says.
In the past, she has compared herself to different creators that set unhealthy standards for their audiences. Now, she refrains from comparing herself to other creators. “Sometimes I think that I’m not doing enough, but at the same time, I want to have time to myself to reset and relax. If you’re spreading yourself too thin, you don’t have the chance to actually enjoy what you’re doing,” she says.
Atkin has come to understand that social media often serves as a highlight reel rather than a reflection of reality. Embracing this insight, she uses her platforms to share authentic content about her sport from a Gen Z perspective, building a loyal following with her surprising relatability despite her gold medalist status. But still, there is so much she doesn’t share. “If you look at my Instagram, it looks like I am training all the time, going to school all the time, and I am. But I’m not posting the times where I am sleeping in until 11 AM because I am so tired, or the times I’m taking long breaks and sitting in the sun because I am drained from everything. The parts of your life that you don’t share are just as important.”
Looking ahead, Atkin is focusing on the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. But no matter what she is doing until then, she aims to keep it light. “I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself. I want this buildup to still be fun,” Atkin says. “I want to keep feeling gratified and fulfilled. A goal for me is to push myself in new ways and find the fun in the challenge.”
Photography IRENE CHEN
Fashion LYDIA MIKULKA
Glam LISA TELLER at SEE MANAGEMENT
Words GIULIANA BRIDA
Cover Design JUNG YOUN KIM
Fashion Assistant ANGIE SHIN
Retouch SOFIA
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