Charlie Mickel Made the Olympics By Having Fun
Charlie Mickel was on skis at one and a half years old.
"At one and a half, I got started on skies. My parents put me in a harness, so I obviously wasn’t really skiing, but it’s just something I got started with at a super young age."
Growing up in Durango, Colorado, his dad was close friends with the head of the local freestyle program. Charlie and his three siblings quickly got involved on weekdays at Chapman Hill and weekends at Purgatory.
By freshman year of high school, he was good enough to move to Steamboat Springs for a more serious program. It didn't go the way anyone planned.
“My coaches were pretty intense and I think they saw the potential that I had," he said. "But at the time, I was 14, and I didn't want to be waking up at 7:30 and doing training and stuff. I wanted to enjoy my life."
He moved back to Durango, kept skiing, but this time, on his own terms.
"I kind of took a step back. I took skiing seriously, but I didn't take it as seriously for a year. It took away the fun of it. Skiing has to be something that you enjoy to be productive. So I kind of took a step back, and then after that I was like, alright, I really want to do this."
All In On His Terms
While the break was short, the clarity it gave him wasn't.
"I only really am gonna do what I want to do," he said. "I've gotten to a point now where I enjoy doing double-session workouts because I'm attuned to it. It's my job now. My job is to eat healthy, work out, and train. But when it was kind of forced upon me at a young age, it took away the fun of it.”
A year later, COVID scrambled the calendar and an opportunity opened up: move to Salt Lake, do school online, train alongside Cole and Dylan, two guys about a year and a half older who were both serious competitors.
"That year, I feel like I progressed a lot," he said. "In Colorado, I was always good…like, at 12, beating the 15-year-olds. But when I moved out here, I was 16, I won Junior Nationals here in Park City. I beat a bunch of guys who were 18 and had been at the top of their age group."
He made the U.S. team the following year. The fun-first mindset remained front and center when the stakes got greater.
“Reflecting on my skiing so far, I’ve realized you have to enjoy training to be productive. That's still something I advocate highly for. Make sure that you're enjoying it. If you enjoy it, you'll just want to put in the work anyway.”
The Dream He's Had Since Sochi
The Olympics had been in Charlie's head since he was six years old, watching Sochi on TV.
"I've literally had it in my mind since I was probably 10 or younger…even younger, really. I remember watching the 2014 Sochi Games and I was like, I want to go to the Olympics. I want to win the Olympics, actually."
Twelve years later, he made his Olympic debut at the 2026 Winter Games.
"Just being there, it was pretty special because it's something that I've had in my mind for a long time."
He competed in two events — singles moguls and dual moguls — finishing 6th and 12th respectively.
"I finished, I remember thinking…wow, it's over. I have to wait another four years for another Olympic start opportunity. I definitely wanted more than what I got out of that Games," he said. "It was kind of a reality check that I only have so many of these starts, and I gotta make sure that when the next one comes around, I have nothing stopping me from being at my very best."
Charlie Mickel isn't done. Turns out, having fun was the right call all along.
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 to create the most comprehensive mindset record of a single Games cycle. What do elite competitors actually believe about pressure, identity, failure, and joy? Charlie Mickel is one of hundreds of athletes sharing their unfiltered answers. Follow the journey!
