COPPER MOUNTAIN — Sarah Schleper closely consults her checklist to make sure she leaves nothing behind before taking off for a ski competition.
The three-time U.S. Olympian tosses goggles and gloves into her overflowing travel bag, along with some extra diapers, pacifiers and a security blanket.
All necessary equipment for a skier traveling with a toddler.
Schleper and her husband, Federico Gaxiola, are schlepping around the world to ski events on their own dime this season, with their young son, Lasse, in tow. One last pursuit of an Olympic medal for the 30-year-old Schleper has become a family ambition.
“That’s really what I’m stoked about, having that opportunity again,” said Schleper, who will compete at Aspen Winternational this weekend, the first women’s World Cup stop in North America this season. “I couldn’t do this without my family.”
Not even 2 years old yet, Lasse has already been to 17 different countries, speaks words in three different languages — including Spanish — and can charge down a slope on his own pair of skis.
He can thank his mother later for all of that.
Leaving Lasse and her husband behind to go racing simply wasn’t an option. If Schleper was going to try for one more Olympic team, they all had to be on board.
“If they weren’t here, I’d be so heartbroken,” she said. “It would be too hard emotionally. They don’t come to all the training, but they come to the races.”
It’s been a pricey proposition. Given her ranking, Schleper’s not on the “A” squad and her expenses aren’t totally covered by the U.S. Ski Team this season. That means travel, food and lodging comes out of her own pocket.
“It’s been hard on us financially, especially in this economy,” said Schleper, a Vail resident who still receives other amenities from the U.S. team, such as coaching and technical support. “We’re getting by.”
Losing her spot on the “A” team has been a humbling experience for Schleper, but it also has rekindled her passion for the slopes.
“It makes you a better person, better athlete, fight harder and want it more,” she said. “I like the struggle, and I think that’s what it’s all about.”
Still, the doubt sometimes tugged at her. Is this worth it? Does she really want to drain the family’s finances for one last shot at the Olympics? Should they really be doing this? Her husband, though, would always be quick to quell those concerns.
“We knew this wasn’t going to be easy,” said Gaxiola, who married Schleper in October 2007. “In my mind, there was never any doubt that she was going to continue. She was skiing too well not to try.”
Schleper hasn’t spent all that much time on the snow in recent seasons, injuries and the birth of her child keeping her sidelined.
She had back surgery for a ruptured disc a few months before the Turin Olympics, only to return and finish 10th in the slalom.
Soon after, she tore the ACL in her left knee, which forced her to spend the entire 2006-07 season in rehab. Then Schleper took off the following season while pregnant with Lasse.
Given the rash of injuries — and new son — why not call it a career? What more was there left to prove?
“A lot,” said Schleper, a four-time U.S. slalom champion.
