Stacy Gaskill Is Competing Right Where Her Feet Are
When Stacy Gaskill sat down for her interview with Back The Team, she was still in Livigno. Packing bags, winding down from her second Olympic Games, a few days out from the closing ceremonies.
“As of twelve weeks ago, it [the Olympics] was pretty much not going to happen.” A blown knee the previous December. A complicated rehab. Snow, uncertain. “I have the most incredible team behind me. To be here at all is incredible.”
The Path from 2022 to 2026
Gaskill describes the four years between her Olympic debut in Beijing and Milano Cortina as a period of real growth. And not the highlight-reel kind, but the harder, quieter kind. “I grew up a lot,” she says simply. “I dealt with a couple of injuries, tragedy, amazing moments of joy, and everything in between.”
Through it all, Gaskill gained clarity.
“I had a lot of time to decide exactly how I want to show up in situations, and the person I want to be. That really carried into my preparation for these Games.”
She also arrived in Livigno with a deep sense of maturity and acknowledgement of the ups and downs of elite athletics. “90% of the athletes at the Games are going to face more heartbreak than triumph.” Knowing that, she made a deliberate choice: enjoy it, but don’t chase the highs. “I know how low those lows can be.”
Day by Day
When asked about her go-to mantra or favorite quote that she brings to competition, her response is striking.
“It’s really easy to say, I love the process, it’s not about the destination. I think those are easy ways to distract yourself from the grief (or the fear) of losing.”
Instead, Gaskill brings a mentality of presence. Taking life one day at a time.
“My daily mantra: I’m gonna show up today, do what I need to do, to the best of my ability. Then, I’m gonna show up tomorrow. But I’m not gonna worry about tomorrow or yesterday. Just living right where my feet are.”
Holding Multiple Emotions at Once
After the Games, Gaskill posted a reflection on Instagram in attempt to name the full complexity of what it actually feels like to compete at the Olympic level. She says it took her a few days to find the words.
“I’m so aware of how much of a gift it is that I’m here. But I also wouldn’t be the athlete I am if I didn’t strive for more when I have these chances. So in my post, I was trying to articulate that dichotomy…my gratitude and appreciation and joy, alongside the devastation when something you’ve worked for is just out of reach.”
The ability to hold contradictory truths at the same time is something she’s been working on for years with her sport psychologist. Her experience at the Olympics has brought this work into sharp focus.
Show Up Anyway
When asked what she’d tell a young athlete just getting into snowboarding, Gaskill lands on discipline. She’s quite specific about why.
“People talk about motivation and inspiration a lot, which are really important. Those are drivers. However, those feelings can be inconsistent. What isn’t inconsistent is discipline. It’s showing up everyday, whether you are motivated or not.”
She takes this piece of advice one step further: “Showing up and giving whatever your 100% is that specific day.”
Not yesterday’s 100%. Not the version you wish you had. The one you’ve actually got. Right where your feet are.
ABOUT THIS SERIES
I'm Amy Wotovich, and I am on a mission to interview 100% of Team USA's 2026 Olympic and Paralympic athletes for Back The Team's series Inside the Mental Game of the Games — the most comprehensive mindset record of a single Games cycle. What do elite competitors actually believe about pressure, identity, failure, and joy? Stacy Gaskill is one of hundreds of athletes sharing their unfiltered answers. Follow the journey!
