Olympics
Helaina, Henniyah and Henri Rivers IV have been skiing almost as long as they could walk. Now, the 17-year-old triplets from Long Island are training to compete for Jamaica in alpine skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy—a journey that began on the slopes of the Catskills when they were just toddlers.
Born in Brooklyn in August 2007 to a Jamaican mother and American father, the siblings learned to ski at age 1 and began racing at age 5, according to People magazine. They trained with the Windham Race Factory at Windham Mountain, steadily progressing from the children’s learning center to competitive alpine racing. “We grew up skiing, and we’ve been skiing ever since,” Helaina Rivers told People, noting that their parents—now both certified ski instructors—introduced them to snow sports early. Over the years, the siblings built strong ties within the Windham racing community, making friends and finding mentors who shaped their development.
The trio’s training ramped up at age 14, when they attended boarding schools that allowed them to ski six days a week, balancing academics with an intensive athletic schedule. Their competitive résumé includes two siblings representing Jamaica at the Youth Olympic Games in South Korea in 2024, an experience that gave them exposure to world-class competition ahead of their Olympic bid.
Their father, Henri Rivers, told People the plan for their Olympic push has been in motion for nearly two decades. He said the plan might never have worked if his children hadn’t taken to skiing on their own, since he wasn’t going to push them into the sport. Now, he believes they have the potential to excel as racers for many years.
The triplets, who turn 18 on August 24, also made history in scouting. They became the first Black triplets to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout in the U.S., completing separate community service projects to beautify a public flagpole area in their hometown. While their road to the Olympics continues with training in Argentina, their eyes remain fixed on representing Jamaica in Cortina d’Ampezzo—combining their lifelong passion for skiing with their family heritage. However, they have a long way to go, only the top 500-ranked alpine skiers are eligible for country spots at the Olympics and the triplets are currently ranked in the 1,000-2,000s.
