Zoe Gillings-Brier

Over the next few years, Zoe got more and more into competing, even making her mark at the Youth Olympics with a solid 6th place finish.

At 16, during her first winter season in Canada, Zoe tried her hand at her first World Cup. That’s when she fell head over heels for Snowboard Cross—a super thrilling event where four snowboarders tear down the same course, dodging turns and jumps at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour.

Zoe made history as the first snowboarder worldwide to qualify for the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics, which was the debut for Snowboard Cross. But just four months before the big event, disaster struck—she broke her foot into eight pieces, putting her career on the line. Doctors even said she might never snowboard again, let alone walk normally.

But Zoe wasn’t about to give up. She pushed through eight months of intense rehab, defying the odds to get back on the snow just in time for the Olympics. Despite lingering foot problems, she managed to clinch a respectable 15th place. This whole ordeal made Zoe tougher, and despite ongoing foot issues, she still managed to pull off some incredible performances.