BORMIO, Italy, Feb 10 (Reuters) – Mexican Alpine skier Lasse Gaxiola could have his mom for firm on his Olympic debut however she won’t be cheering him from the end space in Saturday’s large slalom in Bormio as a result of she will probably be three hours away getting ready her personal race.
Teenager Gaxiola’s mum is 46-year-old Sarah Schleper, who will even be snowboarding below the Mexican flag in Cortina on Sunday, changing into the oldest feminine Alpine skier to compete on the Olympics and the primary to seem at seven Video games.
On high of that Schleper and Gaxiola, 18, will grow to be the primary mom and son to compete on the identical Winter Video games.
“It’s troublesome as a result of we’re in two completely different venues,” Colorado-born Schleper mentioned. “It’s troublesome, but additionally it’s good as a result of he can expertise the Olympics as a person as a substitute of me telling him, ‘Oh, you’ve received to commerce pins, you could do that’. I’m all the time attempting to provide him an excessive amount of recommendation. You may by no means cease being a mum and be only a teammate, so I’m sort of excited that he’s not proper subsequent to me on a regular basis.”
Schleper competed at her first 4 Olympics as an American and within the subsequent three she has represented Mexico after marrying her Mexican husband Federico and popping out of retirement in 2015. Her greatest end result was tenth within the slalom in 2006.
“He (Lasse) is identical age as I used to be at my first Olympics (in Nagano in 1998),” Schleper, who was one in every of Mexico’s flagbearer on the opening ceremony in Milan-Cortina, mentioned. “I’m simply so happy with him. He’s nonetheless slightly little bit of a brat, however this expertise goes to assist him develop up and perceive how essential this occasion is.”
NOT BEING WITH MUM A MIXED BLESSING
Gaxiola educated on the Bormio slopes on Tuesday together with Jamaican entrant Henri Rivers IV and Kenyan Issa Laborde as they put together to rub shoulders with the elite racers on the Stelvio.
He says not having his mum there was a combined blessing.
“In some methods, I’m blissful that we’re aside as a result of (having) her round does put slightly additional strain on me,” he mentioned. “Typically I want she was right here with me so we might expertise all the pieces collectively, nevertheless it does assist calm me down slightly.”
Gaxiola says he owes his snowboarding expertise to his mum.
“It feels nice to provide one thing again to her as a result of she’s actually taught me all the pieces I find out about snowboarding,” he mentioned. “She’s been there all through my complete snowboarding journey.”
Schleper mentioned she cried when she noticed Lasse on a display through the opening ceremony and mentioned it took her again to when she skilled her first Video games in Nagano.
“My first Olympics have been a blur of emotion and ignorance. It’s like this complete factor has been future,” she mentioned.
