Olympics
Palisades Tahoe, California, recognizes a group of local athletes from Team Palisades Tahoe and Olympic Valley Freestyle who have been named to U.S. teams scheduled to compete at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games. Representing alpine skiing and freeskiing, these athletes reflect the strength of Palisades Tahoe’s athlete development pipeline and its long-standing competitive legacy.
Alpine Skiing — Team Palisades Tahoe
Mens
Bryce Bennett: Tahoe City, CA
A Tahoe City native and veteran speed specialist, Bennett enters his third Winter Games appearance as one of the most experienced members of the alpine field. At age 33, he has spent nearly half his life on the U.S. Ski Team, building a career defined by power, confidence, and longevity in downhill and super-G.
While Bennett holds multiple titles—Olympian, World Cup Winner and longtime U.S. Ski Team member—the role he takes the most pride in is one he added recently: father. In the spring of 2025, he and his wife, Kelley, welcomed their first child, a daughter.
Fatherhood has not slowed Bennett down. Instead, it has added new perspective as he continues competing at the highest level. As he prepares for the 2026 Winter Games, Bennett hopes the memories created on the world stage will one day be shared with his daughter, continuing a Tahoe-rooted legacy that now spans generations.
Womens
AJ Hurt: Carnelian Bay, CA
Hurt’s Olympic journey began with what she describes as the ultimate “take your kid to work” experience. Growing up at Palisades Tahoe, she spent countless hours alongside her father, a longtime member of the Palisades Pro-Ski Patrol, whose career on the mountain spans longer than Hurt has been alive.
Some of her fondest childhood memories include accompanying her dad on end-of-day mountain sweeps, helping take down signage and ensuring the slopes were clear. Those early days on the mountain led to rapid progression, with Hurt racing her first World Cup at just 16 years old.
Now an eight-year member of the U.S. Ski Team, Hurt is has two World Cup podiums and made her Olympic debut in 2022. She recently spent the offseason training at home in Palisades Tahoe and is coming off a breakthrough season, with a strong focus on mental preparation—an area she describes as non-linear but essential to high-level performance.
Keely Cashman: Strawberry, CA
A 2022 Olympian and eight-year member of the U.S. Ski Team, Cashman returns to the Winter Games driven by a desire to continue challenging expectations in alpine skiing. A technically focused racer specializing in Giant Slalom and Super Giant Slalom, she has built her career on determination, consistency, and a belief that elite performance is possible without following a traditional development path.
Growing up in Strawberry, California, Cashman has been open about the financial barriers that often accompany ski racing. With her father working as a coach to offset some of the costs, her family relied on creativity and perseverance to support her ambitions. Much of that support came from the Serene Bean, a local coffee shop her family has operated for 28 years and a cornerstone of the community where Cashman is well known as a hometown barista.
Through her journey, Cashman has become a visible example for aspiring athletes, particularly those from smaller communities, showing that reaching the Olympic stage does not require coming from a large academy or traditional pipeline.
Nina O’Brien: Denver, CO
O’Brien began skiing at Palisades Tahoe through the Mighty Mite program before starting her racing career with Team Palisades Tahoe. She later attended Burke Mountain Academy, where her performance led to selection for the National Training Group and, in 2016, a spot on the U.S. Ski Team.
Since joining the team, O’Brien has built an accomplished career, including winning the NorAm overall title in 2019, earning eight national championship titles, and competing at the 2022 Winter Games. She was also a member of the U.S. Team Event that won gold at the 2023 World Championships. Growing up in a family of ski racers helped shape her lifelong connection to the sport.
Freeskiing — Olympic Valley Freestyle
Womens
Abby Winterberger: Truckee, CA
Winterberger represents Olympic Valley Freestyle Freeride Team (OVFree) and has qualified to compete in freeski halfpipe at the 2026 Winter Games. Her nomination is notable as she qualified directly through international competition results while competing at the club level, bypassing traditional U.S. Ski & Snowboard Rookie and Pro Team pathways.
At just 15 years old, Winterberger enters her first Olympic Games following a standout 2025–26 season that included being named U.S. National Champion in freeski halfpipe and recording multiple top-10 finishes internationally. She was also the top-placing U.S. woman at the final Olympic halfpipe qualification event of the season in Aspen, Colorado, finishing sixth against a deep international field.
Training in Olympic Valley, her development reflects the growing strength of Tahoe-based freestyle and freeski progression programs and support from the regional mountain community.
“These athletes represent years of commitment, discipline, and time spent training on Sierra Nevada terrain. While their paths and programs may differ, their success reflects the depth of talent and culture of competition rooted in the Tahoe region,” Eric Garayoa, Palisades Tahoe director of teams, said.
Palisades Tahoe and Olympic Valley have long served as training grounds for elite winter sport athletes, with a history of progression spanning multiple generations. The 2026 Winter Games mark another milestone for the region’s enduring influence on the global winter sports stage.
