Featured Image: Bella Wright/GEPA
After setbacks and recovery, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team speed skier rediscovers her instincts, resilience, and joy on snow.
At the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Center of Excellence in Park City, Isabella Wright is still catching her breath. “I just finished puking six times,” she laughs, after her grueling training session. “So yeah, feeling good.”
Classic Isabella: tough, unfiltered, and all-in. With Copper Mountain training just days away, the Stifel U.S. Women’s Speed Team athlete is finishing her last pre-season training block, driven by the kind of hunger that comes only after a long road back.
Resetting Body and Mind
Last season, Wright quietly battled through a torn labrum in her right hip, an injury that tested her both physically and mentally. After months of racing through pain, she finally pressed pause.
“I decided to do PRP and take a long summer of recovery, actually way longer than I expected,” she says. “It was all about rewiring my body and my brain and getting everything firing in the same system again.”
When she clicked into her skis again this summer in South America, she wasn’t sure what to expect. “It had been over six months since I last skied,” she says. “But my body handled everything great. It was a relief to feel strong again, a huge confidence boost.”
“Things will never feel perfect, but I feel more confident with where my body’s at now.”
Learning to Slow Down
For an athlete known for her grit, this year brought an unexpected lesson: patience.
“I finally slowed down and allowed myself to focus on a full recovery, even when I didn’t want to,” Wright admits. “In the past, I rushed through injuries because there was always a race or the Olympics coming up. This time, my body caught up to me.”
It wasn’t easy, but it was transformative. “There were frustrations and struggles,” she says. “But I learned a lot through it. Now I don’t have to focus on something holding me back anymore. I can just build.”
A Fresh Approach
After two challenging seasons, Wright’s perspective on competition and success has evolved.
“These past two years were big for learning,” she says. “In some ways, I hit rock bottom. When that happens, you have two choices: fight and find your passion again, or go the other way. I chose to fight.”
That mindset now defines her approach heading into the Olympic season. “There’s so much comparison in this sport, to others but also to your past self,” she says. “I just want to start fresh, apply what I’ve learned, enjoy it, and take it one race at a time.”
Trusting Instincts
At last year’s Cortina World Cup, Wright laid down two top-five training runs, then fell short on race day. The difference? Overthinking.
“I’m an instinctual skier,” she says. “After those training runs, we dove too deep into the video. It was a ‘don’t fix what isn’t broken’ moment.”
Now she’s focused on racing with flow and feel. “When you trust your instincts, skiing is more fun, and that’s when I’m at my best.”
Leading a New Era
As one of the veterans on a revitalized U.S. women’s speed team, Wright is energized by what she sees around her.
“When I first joined the team, we ended the season with just Breezy Johnson and me. Everyone else was injured or retired,” she recalls. “Now every woman on this team has the potential to win. You can feel the confidence when we walk into the room.”
That depth, from seasoned veterans to rising talent, has created a stronger, more connected environment. “You can learn from someone older, younger, faster, slower — it doesn’t matter,” Wright says. “We push each other. It’s exciting.”
Rooted in Family and Grit
Through every high and low, Wright’s family has remained her foundation.
“My dad used to tune my skis and travel with me to take pressure off,” she says. “Now he’s still my biggest supporter, just in a different way. My family, my boyfriend Ryan — they’ve been my constants. No judgment, just love.”
That steady support gave her the strength to keep going. “Even at my lowest, I knew I had them,” she says. “That gave me the confidence to keep fighting.”
The Human Behind the Athlete
When asked what fans might not see behind the scenes, Wright pauses.
“There’s so much focus on what we do — skiing, training, performing — that we forget we’re human beings,” she says. “Through this recovery, I’ve done a lot of work on myself and a lot of internal work. That’s what I’m most proud of. I really took a step back and focused on my overall health and who I am as a person.”
Her perspective is clear: the grind is constant, but balance is key. “There’s a quote I love that says we focus so much on what we do that we become human doings and forget that we’re human beings. Remembering to just be makes you stronger.”
After a long recovery, Isabella Wright is stepping into the new season with renewed purpose, not just to win, but to ski freely, trust her instincts, and enjoy the process.
Reflecting on everything she’s learned, Wright smiles. “It’s a bumpy, wild ride, but you’re strong enough to hang on and gritty enough to keep fighting and enjoy it,” she says. “There have been a lot of ups and downs, but through it all I’ve stayed relentless. I know there’s still so much more I can do and achieve, and I actually see my stubbornness as one of my greatest strengths.”
About the Author: Katie Twible
