{"id":110091,"date":"2026-02-17T11:33:32","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T11:33:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?post_type=articles&p=110091"},"modified":"2026-02-17T11:33:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T11:33:32","slug":"zoe-atkin-olympics-interview-freeski-halfpipe","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/zoe-atkin-olympics-interview-freeski-halfpipe\/","title":{"rendered":"GRAZIA Exclusive: ‘I Can Do It Even Though I\u2019m Scared’ \u2014 Olympian Zoe Atkin Speaks on Pressure, Identity, & the 2026 Olympics"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Zoe
Pictured: Zoe Atkin, Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Freestyle Skier; Photo Credit: Zoe Atkin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As Zoe Atkin prepares to compete in the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic freeski halfpipe competition beginning February 19, she isn\u2019t trying to become someone new. If anything, she\u2019s arriving more fully as herself \u2014 grounded, self-aware, and deeply confident in the work she\u2019s done to get here.<\/p>\n

The discipline, which requires athletes to launch themselves out of a towering halfpipe while performing complex aerial tricks, is one of the most technically demanding events in freestyle skiing.<\/p>\n

Over the past four years, she\u2019s quietly transformed \u2014 not just as an athlete, but in how she understands pressure, fear, and her own identity. Now entering the 2026 Olympic Games<\/a> as one of the most exciting freeski halfpipe athletes to watch, she carries something far more powerful than expectation: perspective.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m super stoked,\u201d Atkin says to GRAZIA USA<\/em>. Then she smiles. \u201cI\u2019m also a little bit feeling nervous and stressed and crazy. Definitely so many emotions.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not uncertainty. It\u2019s awareness.<\/p>\n

She knows exactly what this moment represents \u2014 not just the culmination of years of physical preparation, but emotional and psychological growth. The version of herself standing at the top of the halfpipe today is calmer, more mature, and more trusting than the athlete she was four years ago.<\/p>\n

And that shift didn\u2019t happen overnight.<\/p>\n

Rebuilding Her Relationship with Skiing<\/h2>\n
\"Zoe
Photo Credit: @zoeaatkin\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After her last Olympic cycle, Atkin found herself questioning her future in the sport she\u2019d devoted most of her life to. The pressure had intensified, expectations felt heavier, and she needed space to reconnect with the part of skiing that had always driven her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t really sure if I wanted to continue skiing and what that looked like,\u201d Atkin opens up to us. \u201cI was just a little bit like, ‘I don\u2019t know about this.’\u201d<\/p>\n

In the years since, she has established herself as one of the most consistent and technically impressive freeski halfpipe athletes in the world.<\/p>\n

Instead of forcing certainty, she returned with a different mindset \u2014 one rooted less in outcomes and more in process. She began focusing on the daily rhythm of training, progression, and rediscovering the enjoyment of the sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat season, I ended up focusing a little bit more on having fun rather than the results,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd I think having fun and focusing on the process allows the results to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Zoe
Photo Credit: @zoeaatkin\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They did. She won the 2026 X Games gold<\/a> and stood on the podium at every event<\/a> she entered that season, proving to herself what had once felt uncertain. That shift \u2014 from chasing outcomes to rediscovering joy \u2014 became the foundation for everything that followed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt made me realize that I could be one of the best,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

More importantly, it allowed her to rebuild trust in herself \u2014 not just in what she could accomplish, but in who she was becoming.<\/p>\n

Learning to Exist Between Worlds<\/h2>\n
\"Zoe
Photo Credit: @zoeaatkin\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Atkin has always navigated multiple identities. Born in the United States<\/a> and competing internationally for Great Britain, she grew up between cultures, shaped by both her British father and Malaysian mother. That duality has influenced how she sees herself \u2014 and how others see her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to Malaysia\u2026 and they\u2019re like, \u2018Oh, my God, you look so white.\u2019 And then I go to England, and they\u2019re like, \u2018Oh, my God, you look exactly like your mom.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Rather than seeing those contrasts as conflicting, she\u2019s come to embrace them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s really special and really cool,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

This Olympic experience will carry even deeper meaning. Her family will be there in person this time, watching her compete \u2014 a moment she didn\u2019t have during the last Games due to COVID-19.<\/p>\n

Their presence represents not just support, but the journey that brought her here.<\/p>\n

Redefining Her Relationship with Fear<\/h2>\n
\"Zoe
Photo Credit: @zoeaatkin\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In freeski halfpipe, fear isn\u2019t something athletes eliminate. It\u2019s something they learn to understand.<\/p>\n

Standing at the top of the pipe never becomes completely comfortable. What\u2019s changed for Atkin is her relationship with that instinct \u2014 the ability to recognize fear without allowing it to define her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can take a step back and be like, ‘Okay, this is just a feeling,’\u201d she explains. \u201cI feel scared, but that\u2019s not my identity. And I can do it even though I\u2019m scared.\u201d<\/p>\n

She describes it simply: doing it scared.<\/p>\n

\"Zoe
Photo Credit: @zoeaatkin\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Working with a sports psychologist, along with studying Symbolic Systems at Stanford \u2014 a discipline that explores cognition, psychology, and human behavior \u2014 has reshaped how she understands her own mind.<\/p>\n

The program encouraged her to analyze how thoughts form, how emotions influence decision-making, and how perception shapes performance. That intellectual curiosity has translated directly into her skiing, allowing her to recognize fear as a temporary signal rather than a permanent truth.<\/p>\n

\u201cI intellectualize my sport a lot,\u201d she lets us in on. \u201cI analyze everything.\u201d Over time, that awareness has helped her separate instinct from doubt, giving her the clarity to move forward even in moments of uncertainty.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really do feel like my mind has changed,\u201d the 23-year-old shares. \u201cAnd I feel like the way I perceive just how important your mindset is\u2026 has really changed my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

That shift has allowed her to approach skiing with more clarity, separating momentary emotions from deeper truths.<\/p>\n

Progress now reveals itself in subtle ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cTricks that I could never do\u2026 I\u2019m doing those as my warm-up tricks now,\u201d she says proudly.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s evidence not just of physical growth, but internal evolution.<\/p>\n

Confidence, Built Over Time<\/h2>\n
\"Zoe
Photo Credit: @zoeaatkin\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Confidence, she\u2019s learned, isn\u2019t something that appears suddenly. It\u2019s built gradually, through repetition, experience, and resilience. She no longer approaches competition trying to prove something \u2014 to herself or anyone else \u2014 but with a deeper sense of trust in the work she\u2019s done and the athlete she\u2019s become.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s definitely something I\u2019ve learned over time,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Even now, nerves still surface. But instead of interpreting them as weakness, she\u2019s reframed them as part of growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cI almost feel like there\u2019s a little bit of a superpower in that,\u201d she tells us. \u201cI get to prove to myself every day\u2026 that I can overcome fear.\u201d<\/p>\n

What once felt impossible has become familiar. What once felt uncertain has become instinctive.<\/p>\n

That confidence isn\u2019t loud. It\u2019s steady.<\/p>\n

Creating Space for the Next Generation<\/h2>\n
\"Zoe
Photo Credit: @zoeaatkin\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Women\u2019s freeskiing continues to evolve, and Atkin is part of a generation expanding what feels possible \u2014 not just technically, but culturally.<\/p>\n

She never questioned whether she belonged in the sport, in large part because of her older sister, Isabel Atkin<\/a>, who competed at the highest level before her, winning a bronze medal in women’s freestyle skiing in the 2018 Games.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was the reason I got into the sport,\u201d Atkin says. \u201cShe was the reason I never even doubted my place in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, the freeski pro hopes to offer that same sense of possibility to others watching her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope that I can be someone that they can watch and be like, \u2018Oh, that\u2019s cool. Maybe I could do that one day.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Zoe
Photo Credit: @zoeaatkin\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Her skiing \u2014 particularly her amplitude, or height above the pipe \u2014 has become part of that representation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope that people can watch me ski and they\u2019re like, \u2018Oh, sh*t, she\u2019s going so big\u2026 That\u2019s so cool that a girl is doing that as well.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just about performance. It\u2019s about visibility, and what visibility makes possible.<\/p>\n

Entering the Olympics with Perspective<\/h2>\n
\"Zoe
Photo Credit: @zoeaatkin\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Atkin imagines the Olympics now, the dominant emotion isn\u2019t pressure. It\u2019s gratitude.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m definitely super grateful for my journey and how much it\u2019s taught me,\u201d she says, \u201cand for my family and my friends and my team.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s confidence there, too \u2014 not rooted in expectation, but preparation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I\u2019m going to go there\u2026 100 percent prepared.\u201d<\/p>\n

Preparation, she\u2019s learned, is more than physical. It\u2019s emotional. It\u2019s psychological. It\u2019s the result of years spent understanding herself as deeply as she understands her sport.<\/p>\n

Finding Balance Beyond the Halfpipe<\/h2>\n
\"Zoe
Photo Credit: @zoeaatkin\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For all the intensity of elite competition, Atkin\u2019s life off the slopes is defined by stillness, recovery, and the small rituals that allow her to reset. Her version of balance isn\u2019t about distraction \u2014 it\u2019s about restoration.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would love to be on a beach somewhere,\u201d she says, describing her ideal day off with a sense of calm that contrasts sharply with the adrenaline of competition.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s drawn to strength training, too \u2014 not just as preparation, but as something she genuinely enjoys. \u201cI really like to lift,\u201d Atkin shares with us. It\u2019s part of a routine that helps her feel grounded in her body, not just her performance.<\/p>\n

\"Zoe
Photo Credit: @zoeaatkin\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But it\u2019s food \u2014 and the experience surrounding it \u2014 that brings her the most joy. She lights up when describing long, multi-course tasting dinners, the kind of meals that unfold slowly and intentionally. \u201cI would go to the restaurant with the multiple courses,\u201d she says when describing her perfect day. \u201cLike 15 courses.\u201d<\/p>\n

After winning gold at the X Games<\/a>, she marked the moment with dinner at Matsuhisa in Aspen, still carrying the emotional high of what she\u2019d accomplished. \u201cI came from my gold medal, and I was like, I feel so good right now,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

These quieter moments \u2014 baths, rest, good meals, and sleep \u2014 are essential to sustaining the version of herself that shows up on competition day. They allow her to step outside the pressure and reconnect with something simpler: being present, being human, and being whole.<\/p>\n

How Zoe Atkin Hopes to be Remembered After the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics<\/h2>\n
\"Zoe
Photo Credit: @zoeaatkin\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When asked how she hopes people will describe her after these Olympics, she pauses for a moment, considering the question carefully.<\/p>\n

\u201cCool,\u201d she says, laughing.<\/p>\n

Then she answers more honestly.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrave or courageous\u2026 stylish in my skiing.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a simple answer, but it reflects everything she\u2019s worked toward \u2014 not perfection, but authenticity.<\/p>\n

Standing at the top of the halfpipe, fully present in the moment she\u2019s built for, she isn\u2019t trying to eliminate fear. She\u2019s learned how to move forward alongside it.<\/p>\n

And that, more than anything, is what brought Zoe Atkin here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42686,"featured_media":110104,"template":"","format":"standard","categories":[38,16,3363],"yoast_head":"\nZoe Atkin Opens Up Ahead of Her Olympic Halfpipe Competition<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ahead of her Olympic freeski halfpipe competition, Zoe Atkin opens up to GRAZIA about fear, identity, and the mindset that changed it all.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/zoe-atkin-olympics-interview-freeski-halfpipe\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"GRAZIA Exclusive: 'I Can Do It Even Though I\u2019m Scared' \u2014 Olympian Zoe Atkin Speaks on Pressure, Identity, & the 2026 Olympics\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ahead of her Olympic freeski halfpipe competition, Zoe Atkin opens up to GRAZIA about fear, identity, and the mindset that changed it all.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/zoe-atkin-olympics-interview-freeski-halfpipe\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Grazia USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/02\/zoe-atkin-olympics-interview-freeski-halfpipe.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"730\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/zoe-atkin-olympics-interview-freeski-halfpipe\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/zoe-atkin-olympics-interview-freeski-halfpipe\/\",\"name\":\"Zoe Atkin Opens Up Ahead of Her Olympic Halfpipe Competition\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-17T11:33:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-17T11:33:32+00:00\",\"description\":\"Ahead of her Olympic freeski halfpipe competition, Zoe Atkin opens up to GRAZIA about fear, identity, and the mindset that changed it all.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/zoe-atkin-olympics-interview-freeski-halfpipe\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/zoe-atkin-olympics-interview-freeski-halfpipe\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/zoe-atkin-olympics-interview-freeski-halfpipe\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"GRAZIA Exclusive: ‘I Can Do It Even Though I\u2019m Scared’ \u2014 Olympian Zoe Atkin Speaks on Pressure, Identity, & the 2026 Olympics\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/\",\"name\":\"Grazia USA\",\"description\":\"Driving tastemakers in Fashion, Beauty and Culture\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Zoe Atkin Opens Up Ahead of Her Olympic Halfpipe Competition","description":"Ahead of her Olympic freeski halfpipe competition, Zoe Atkin opens up to GRAZIA about fear, identity, and the mindset that changed it all.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/zoe-atkin-olympics-interview-freeski-halfpipe\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"GRAZIA Exclusive: 'I Can Do It Even Though I\u2019m Scared' \u2014 Olympian Zoe Atkin Speaks on Pressure, Identity, & the 2026 Olympics","og_description":"Ahead of her Olympic freeski halfpipe competition, Zoe Atkin opens up to GRAZIA about fear, identity, and the mindset that changed it all.","og_url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/zoe-atkin-olympics-interview-freeski-halfpipe\/","og_site_name":"Grazia USA","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":730,"url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/02\/zoe-atkin-olympics-interview-freeski-halfpipe.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/zoe-atkin-olympics-interview-freeski-halfpipe\/","url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/zoe-atkin-olympics-interview-freeski-halfpipe\/","name":"Zoe Atkin Opens Up Ahead of Her Olympic Halfpipe Competition","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-02-17T11:33:32+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-17T11:33:32+00:00","description":"Ahead of her Olympic freeski halfpipe competition, Zoe Atkin opens up to GRAZIA about fear, identity, and the mindset that changed it all.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/zoe-atkin-olympics-interview-freeski-halfpipe\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/zoe-atkin-olympics-interview-freeski-halfpipe\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/zoe-atkin-olympics-interview-freeski-halfpipe\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"GRAZIA Exclusive: ‘I Can Do It Even Though I\u2019m Scared’ \u2014 Olympian Zoe Atkin Speaks on Pressure, Identity, & the 2026 Olympics"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/#website","url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/","name":"Grazia USA","description":"Driving tastemakers in Fashion, Beauty and Culture","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Grazia USA","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/110091"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/articles"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42686"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}