Resilience Reignited: Sabrina Wanjiku Simader Returns to Speed in Cortina

Sabrina Wanjiku Simader is a World Cup alpine ski racer who has made a name for herself, embraced diversity, engraved historical moments, and shattered stereotypes. She will return to the slopes this week in Cortina, prepared to continue breaking barriers. 

From Kilifi, Kilifi County, Kenya, Sabrina was the first Kenyan woman to participate in an Alpine World Cup and Alpine World Championships. On top of that, in 2018, she was the first athlete to represent Kenya in the Alpine skiing Winter Olympic Games. 

Unfortunately, towards the end of last season, Sabrina tore her ACL while training super-G in March 2023. Following months of dedicated efforts in rehabilitation, strength training, and conditioning, Cortina will witness her return to racing. Despite not achieving a top-30 score on the World Cup circuit thus far, she aspires to do so in her comeback season. 

She stated on social media, “Thankful for the whole comeback progress and challenging transformation mentally and physically each day. Also, for all the lessons, new cooperation, decisions, and all the ups and downs. I wouldn’t make it without the closest ones.”

Getting into Ski Racing 

Sabrina was born in 1998 in Kenya, but at three years old, she moved to Austria with her mother and stepfather. Her parents introduced her to skiing, and she immediately loved the sport and excelled quickly. Her first race was at four, and her stepfather became her coach. 

Her talent was seen early for the young ski racer, but her road was not easy, and her eagerness to win was met with frustrations that had a detrimental impact on her mental health. Her stepfather assisted in changing her mindset to focus back on the fun aspects of the sport, which allowed her to alter her perspective, tune back into her love for the sport, and begin to push her boundaries again. 

Sadly, her dedicated and supportive stepfather passed when she was 13 years old. The loss was extremely challenging for the young athlete. But, she decided to continue fighting to honor him, embrace the memories they made on the slopes, and pursue her ski racing journey.

Her perseverance continued to shine, especially in speed events. She earned her first FIS podium in a Val Gardena super-G in 2018. 

She has now kicked out of 18 World Cup starts and is thrilled to ramp back up on one of the most heart-pounding speed tracks on the women’s circuit. 

Overcoming and Embracing Diversity in a Mono-ethnic Sport

Ski Racing is widely recognized as a predominantly mono-ethnic sport, which can be challenging to navigate as a minority racer. Nonetheless, Sabrina has embraced her differences in the sport and is currently the only black racer competing on the World Cup circuit. 

She has been outspoken about her obstacles of being seen as “different,” especially growing up in Austria. Nevertheless, she has taken this to better herself and work to better the sport overall.

She aims to utilize her platform to cultivate a message of inclusivity in the sport of ski racing, and she believes that starts with kindness. She strives to encourage athletes from places that are not from areas seen as traditional winter sports locations to break down barriers, embark on new adventures, and follow their dreams.  

New Season with a New Team and Coach 

In the 2024 season, she took the opportunity to work with a new team. 

In September 2023, Christian Reif stepped back from being her coach to being her serviceman. Reif will focus on the athlete’s equipment throughout this winter. 

With Reif stepping back, she took an opportunity to team up with Solab Gmbh (solab.ch), a Swiss-based sports company. The company has assisted her with a new coach, Lino Stüttler, and a new manager, Mia Bastar.

Lino Stüttler has over 30 years of coaching experience on the World Cup, European Cup, FIS, and U14/U16 development circuits. This team has been working to get her back on the snow and share her dedication to extending her success beyond the podium.