Who is Zoi Sadowski-Synnott? New Zealand snowboarder embraces underdog spirit ahead of Milan Cortina Olympic Games 2026

New Zealand snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott is no longer just an underdog story. She is now one of the biggest names in women’s snowboarding. After winning gold and silver medals at the 2022 Winter Games, the three-time Olympic medalist enters the Milan Cortina Games as a clear favorite in women’s slopestyle. Her rise has come despite long travel, limited resources, and long months away from home.At just 24, Sadowski-Synnott has already reshaped expectations for winter athletes from the Southern Hemisphere. Competing far from home has never been easy, but she believes growing up in a small country helped build her mindset. She says New Zealand athletes learn early that big dreams demand extra effort, and that hunger has fueled her success on the world stage.Zoi Sadowski-Synnott says coming from a small nation shaped her attitude. Speaking to the Associated Press she explained that New Zealand lacks the wealth and numbers of major winter sports countries, which forces athletes to work harder if they want success. That challenge, she believes, is part of the national character and something she carries into every competition.Her success has placed New Zealand on the winter sports map. Snowboarding was once dominated by the United States and Europe, but athletes from New Zealand and Japan have expanded the elite level. She now stands alongside famous Kiwi athletes from other sports, even though winter champions from her country remain rare.Her Olympic breakthrough came in 2022 when she became the first New Zealander to win Winter Games gold, taking the slopestyle title. She followed that with silver in big air. Earlier, she had already made history by winning big air bronze at the 2018 Games as a 16-year-old. Since then, her form has only improved. In 2025, she claimed her third world championship slopestyle title and became the first New Zealand woman to win a Crystal Globe in the discipline.Life on tour is demanding. She leaves home in October and often does not return until May or June, meaning she moves from winter to winter with little summer break. While others complain about short trips away, she is used to living out of a suitcase for months. Despite injuries in recent seasons, the snowboarder remains confident. She believes fear fades with repetition, replaced by muscle memory and belief.