In an extraordinary sporting turnaround, American snowboarder Maddy Schaffrick is attempting to qualify for her first Winter Olympics, more than ten years after retiring from the sport to train as a plumber.
Burnout, Basements, and a Bold Career Change
Maddy Schaffrick's story is one of early success, sudden burnout, and an unlikely road back. The now 31-year-old from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, was a teenage prodigy, joining the US national snowboard team at just 14 years old. She competed on the global stage in World Cup events and the X Games, but the pressure took its toll.
"I was a kid put in an adult world," Schaffrick recently reflected. She described struggling with the dual pressures of being a professional athlete while still developing as a person. By the age of 20, and after several injuries, she made the decision to walk away from competitive snowboarding entirely.
Returning to her parents' home, she faced the practical need to earn a living. When asked to contribute to the household, she chose physical work over an office job, embarking on a year-long apprenticeship with a friend's plumbing and heating company. This period away from the slopes was formative, but not in the way she expected.
The Slow Path Back to the Snow
Schaffrick's return began not as a competitor, but as a coach. She initially volunteered to coach young children in Steamboat Springs, partly to secure a free season pass. This experience proved transformative. "It reconnected me to my passion," she said, discovering that joy in snowboarding could be found outside of elite competition.
This coaching path eventually led to an assistant coach role with the US Snowboard Team in 2022. Being back in the high-performance environment stirred unresolved feelings about her own abandoned career. "I felt guilty that I had all these opportunities and it felt like I wasted them," she admitted, acknowledging she had not achieved her original goals.
This introspection sparked a pivotal decision. Recognising she still possessed the skill, Schaffrick chose to return to competition as a rider. "I need to do this for my soul," she declared, "and to heal my younger self."
A Swift and Successful Competitive Return
Schaffrick's comeback has been nothing short of meteoric. In her first competition in nearly a decade, she clinched third place at a 2024 World Cup event in China. The following year, she successfully landed her first 900 (2.5 spins) in competition, a significant technical milestone.
She acknowledges that pre-competition nerves still surface, but her approach has matured dramatically since her teenage years. "I rarely performed well when the pressure was on," she noted of her previous career. Now, she focuses on recognising negative thought patterns, accepting them, and consciously choosing a different mental path.
This month, Schaffrick is navigating the final qualifying rounds to secure a coveted spot on the US team for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Her talent has not gone unnoticed. NBC snowboarding analyst and former Olympian Todd Richards praised her as "a smart competitor" with a solid foundation, smooth style, and a strategic mind.
Her journey has not been without recent hurdles; she dislocated a shoulder attempting a trick in December. Fortunately, quick medical attention on site meant she avoided surgery and is now in recovery.
Whatever the outcome of her Olympic bid, one thing is certain for Maddy Schaffrick: her plumbing days are firmly behind her. "I learned so much, including that I never want to be a plumber," she quipped, adding with respect, "A year of plumbing was harder on my body than seven years of snowboarding." Her remarkable story is now one of resilience, rediscovery, and a second shot at sporting glory.
