Сара Шлепер: Американдық тағдыр, мексикалық жеңіс жолы

American alpine skier

Sarah Schleper is former American, now Mexican alpine skier with dual Mexican citizenship via her marriage to a Mexican citizen, whose career started in 1995.

Her father is Buzz Schleper, who owns a ski shop in Vail, Colorado. She is married to Mexican Federico Gaxiola and acquired Mexican citizenship in April 2014. She is now a dual citizen and lives in Vail, and Los Cabos, Mexico. Her best finish at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships was seventh in the slalom event at Santa Caterina (near Bormio) in 2005. Schleper also competed in four Winter Olympics for USA, In her career spanning a total of 15 years, she took part in 186 World Cup races and achieved four podium finishes and one victory. As has become traditional—a skier in her retirement race can wear any apparel she desires—Schleper wore a thin brown summer dress, bare armed and bare legged, and stopped halfway down the course to pick up her 4 year old son. She then skied the rest of the course with the boy in her arms, to the enjoyment of the crowd and fellow skiers. Lindsey Vonn gave Schleper a long hug in the finish area, and race organizers presented her with a huge bouquet of roses. After acquiring Mexican citizenship in April 2014, she came out of retirement in June 2014, to represent Mexico. She raced for Mexico in the women's giant slalom at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2015. When she joined the Mexican ski team, she doubled the size of the team, serving alongside Prince Hubertus of Hohenlohe Langenburg, a long time sole representative for Mexico at the world circuit. She qualified for the 2018 Olympics, alongside alpinist Rodolfo Dickson, freestyler Roberto Franco, and cross country skier German Madrazo.