Jenise Spiteri Becomes Malta’s First Snowboarder, Sole Athlete at Olympics


In January 2012, Jenise Spiteri, then a college student, posted a Facebook status “Wanted: Someone’s going to teach me to smoke a pipe tomorrow. Anyone available?” The post received two likes, 10 comments and one share.

Ten years later, 29-year-old Spiteri competes in the women’s snowboard half-pipe competition at the first Olympic Games. He is the first snowboarder to compete for Malta at a Winter Games and the only athlete to represent the country in Beijing this year.

As a child in California, Spiteri wanted to be an actor. However, when he was a high school senior, he decided to go professional snowboarding. He continued horseback riding in college, and one of his teammates was his paternal grandfather’s World War II. He suggested that he try to participate in the Malta Olympics, to which he emigrated after World War II. Spiteri said he wasn’t considering competing in the Olympics, but said the idea made strategic and emotional sense: Because he didn’t rise from the regular developmental pipeline in the United States, his chances of representing his country on the Olympic stage were slim. the best.

But the idea was also a way to pay homage to his grandfather, who passed away in 2010 and had his own connection to the Games. He founded the company SP-Teri, which makes figure skating boots. For Olympic stars like Michelle Kwan. “I thought it would be something really cool and special to be able to bring the Olympics back to his home and represent his home,” he said.

Six months before the 2018 Olympics, Spiteri tore his Achilles tendon and meniscus at a World Cup event in New Zealand. He forced injuries to compete in several Olympic qualifiers, but failed to find a place in Pyeongchang.

Still, Spiteri was able to find his way back. his journey largely self-financedIt also receives financial support. Olympic Solidarity training programThis helps countries establish their national sports programs. But snowboarding is expensive, so Spiteri makes a living on a modest budget, reusing his equipment from season to season, and getting odd jobs (including as an extra on shows like “Euphoria”).

To balance his rent, Spiteri lived outside his vehicle during his early years while training in Colorado and Washington. He quickly learned what foods he liked that didn’t require refrigeration (tinned tuna and cheese seasoning), which personal items were likely to freeze (toothpaste, contacts), and how to use them. credit card to destroy the frost through your windshield.

in Spiteri in 2020 upgraded to a minivan He said he had equipped it with a refrigerator and a burner for cooking, but still had no heat while he slept. Temperatures dropped to 18 degrees Fahrenheit. “I couldn’t find a way to warm up without notifying that the van was full,” he said. “I’m a 5 feet woman and I don’t want people to know that someone is sleeping inside.”

While training for three weeks last summer, instead of buying a $900 season ticket plus $125 per day for a half pipe, Spiteri walked over a mile Climb the mountain with your gear to access the slopes. He spent his savings on coaching sessions several times a week.

But the daily walk was daunting. “I was like, three days into the walk, Why am I doing this?” He remembered Spither. “I’m training for the Olympics and I walked for an hour before I started training.”

It’s been 10 years since that Facebook post, but for Spiteri, whose hair is bright pink and blue, the sacrifices made to make it to the Olympics have been worth it.

“I know I don’t have the same advantages or opportunities as other people, but I never wanted to leave because of those,” Spiteri said. “It was never an option. It was like I had to work harder to make up for it.”





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