For many athletes, the Olympics is the culmination of a career. For Gwyneth Ten Raa, it was the opposite. For the young (16 years old) skier from Erpeldange, the Olympic Games in Beijing are just the beginning.

Until a few weeks ago, she was a complete stranger in the small world of Luxembourg sport. “It's simple, three months ago, we ourselves would never have imagined that she would go to Beijing”, confesses Roger, her father.

A number of outstanding results by Gwyneth ten Raa on the international secondary circuit allowed her to meet the selection criteria set for the 24th Winter Olympics. Her parents were well aware of their daughter's talent but they had initially expected Gwyneth to rather take part in the 2026 Olympic Games. Those will be held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.

“Gwyneth must have been three years old the first time she got on skis. And at the age of 6, she took third place in the first competition she entered,” says Roger, who is originally from Rotterdam but arrived in Luxembourg at the age of 28. He worked for Fortis Insurance and is now sales director for Northern Europe at Bâloise.

Four days of skiing a week in Switzerland at the age of 10

“At first we went skiing every weekend in Grindelwald, Switzerland. Then Gwyneth, like her older sister Joyce, was so enthusiastic that we thought two days was too short. So we started going on Wednesday afternoon,” Roger recounts. This way, his daughters could train on Thursday and Friday, before taking part in a competition on Saturday and/or Sunday, and then travel back to Luxembourg. The Ten Raa family drove more than 10 hours a week to Switzerland, while renting a flat there from December to May.

“My wife stopped working to look after our three daughters. I was able to work remotely and was often on the move,” says Roger.

This lasted for four years, until Gwyneth was 14. Her performances in various Swiss competitions were so impressive that she was offered a place on the Swiss national team. There she performed for two years, being an integral part of the “Swiss top 5” of her generation. But all that came to an end a few months ago, when she was told that, as she was not Swiss, it was no longer possible to keep her.

Lindsey Vonn's coaches

Gwyneth's father looked for a plan B to allow his daughter to continue her progress. And he found it in Italy, with the International Ski Racing Academy (Isra), a high performance academy for female athletes. Gwyneth now works alongside Alice Robinson (20), one of the most promising young women in alpine ski, who could well return from China in a few days' time with a medal. But also Chris Knight and Jeff Fergus, two coaches who helped a Lindsey Vonn reach the status of best skier on the planet.

“There are only about ten girls in this training group and five coaches. So the setting is ideal,” says Roger, who now rents a flat in Soraga di Fassa, in the Dolomites. While Gwyneth continues pursuing her studies at a distance, via the Royal Athenaeum in Bastogne.

A cost of €30,000 per year

But all this is obviously expensive. “Between training, equipment, travel, accommodation, etc., it adds up to €30,000 per year. And it's been like that for four or five years. Jokingly, I often say that if she had played football, everything would have been much cheaper," says Roger.

There are also some additional obstacles related to nationality for Gwyneth and her sisters. “It's true that if they had been Swiss, French or Italian, everything would have been easier. These are countries where training is organised, where young people are well looked after. To try to reach the highest level, you have to rub shoulders with the best, live in contact with them. And all this costs money. Before, the COSL didn't know her. Now it's different. We'll see if we can get anything out of it,” says Roger.

In the meantime, Gwyneth is beginning to attract the interest of a few sponsors, notably--Basler. “I made sure it wasn't because of me that she got the sponsorship,” says her dad. Atomic, one of the biggest brands of ski equipment, has also joined forces with her.

Expectations for Gwyneth for the Beijing Olympics are fairly low and she ended up dropping out in the first round of the giant slalom but will be able to take on the slalom race later. However she has set her sights high hoping to “take part in European Cup races this year. Then next year she will be competing in the World Cup” according to her father. “When she was still in Switzerland, the Swiss national coach said she had the potential, especially mentally. The only thing I ask of her is that she takes things seriously. To do them 100%, so that she has no regrets. After that, come what may”.

This story was first published in French on  It has been translated and edited for Delano.