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Livigno: Few Australian public figures experience the whiplash of instant celebrity more acutely than a newly-minted Olympic gold medallist.
For athletes in winter sports, it’s magnified: until they win something at the five-ring circus, they are practically anonymous back home beyond their chosen bubble, no matter how good they are at what they do.
One second, they’re focusing solely on competition. The next, they’re a person of national and international interest, and being ushered from outlet to outlet in the mixed zone, then to a television studio, then to a press conference, then back to the studio, then to an after-party being thrown in their honour. Suddenly, everyone wants to know them.
So spare a thought for Josie Baff and Cooper Woods, whose heads are still spinning. Australia’s other gold medallist so far at Milano Cortina 2026, Jakara Anthony, has been there and did it all four years ago. As have Scotty James and Matt Graham, with their silvers and bronze.
These two first-timers have a lot to work through.
“They’ve kind of zoomed by,” said Baff of the past few days in Livigno, since her women’s snowboard cross victory.
Josie Baff kisses her gold medal.Credit: Getty Images
“They’ve definitely been overwhelming in a sense, and emotionally depleting – but also the greatest days of my life. I guess it’s a weird combination of everything.”
Now that their athletic commitments are over, Baff, 23, and Woods, 25, finally have time to take stock, breathe in, try to figure out what planet they are currently on, and then what they do next – besides watching their teammates strut their stuff during week two of the Games, and ripping the top off a few cold ones.
Do they need to hire representation? When do they start on the public speaking circuit? Do they now have meetings in their diary with Vegemite and Weet-Bix marketing types?
“It’s actually funny you say that because this morning I ate six Weet-Bix,” Baff said.
Cooper Woods basking in the afterglow.Credit: Getty Images
“And I also ate, I think, three or four on the individual [snowboard cross] day. I came up to Lambo [teammate Adam Lambert] and said, ‘I feel way better today. I was able to eat a full-size breakfast.’
“So yeah, I would love to be a Weet-Bix kid. If you want to put that in your articles, I’d really appreciate that. I’d [also] love a car.”
Baff was, of course, joking. Sort of. Mostly about the car.
The truth is when you put the names of most Winter Olympians from Australia into a search engine, near the top the results you often see fundraising pages, seeking assistance for travel costs, competition expenses and equipment. Their lives are expensive, and corporate support is difficult to come by, so when the sun is shining, hay must be made – as much as possible.
That may be why Woods, the new Olympic men’s moguls champion, is flying back to Australia once the show is all over.
“This is all new to me,” he said.
“I’ve got some really good staff, they’re going to look after me really well and decide what’s best. I think I’m going to head back to Australia after the Games now – just figure out what the next steps are because it’s pretty cool; this opportunity.”
Their DMs must be going off. The coolest one Woods said he’d received was from Dylan Alcott.
“I think he’s just a legend,” he said.
“He reached out and he said, ‘If you go double gold, we’ll have a few beers.’ We’ll still enjoy one either way. I was pretty stoked about that, but I’ve had some pretty wonderful people reach out … it’s hard to catch up with everything that’s coming through.
“And I’ll tell you what, it was actually unbelievable to meet Jess Fox. She’s an Aussie icon and a legend, and I spent a good amount of time with her yesterday, getting to know her and I’d really like to pick her brain a little bit about this whole journey and how to manage it all. She’s fun.”
Baff considered going home, too, but has goals to accomplish on the World Cup circuit first, such as a Crystal Globe – awarded to the season’s overall discipline winner by the FIS, the international ski and snowboarding federation.
“I’m going to chat to my manager about it,” she said.
Baff doesn’t have to go too far for advice. Her partner, Canada’s Eliot Grondin, is now a three-time silver medallist, and has been down this road before, too.
“I’m really happy and I’m grateful. I’m excited for the journey and I am prepared for what’s to come,” she said. “I’ve spoken to my boyfriend about it … I know that things do change, but I’m confident that I won’t.”
The Winter Olympic Games is broadcast on the 9Network, 9Now and Stan Sport.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
