By Emily Brietz
After multiple ACL tears threatened to end her Olympic debut, U.S. freeskier Rell Harwood is competing in Milan, determined to savor every moment of the experience.
Harwood grew up in Park City, Utah, where she began skiing at age three and competing at age 10.
“My parents put me in the learn to race program, which I didn’t love, honestly,” Harwood said. “I was like, ‘This kind of sucks. I don’t like waking up early and I don’t like being cold.’”
Transitioning to free skiing competitions led her to fall in love with the rails, boxes and big jumps.
At age 15, she got the call to be on the U.S. Ski Team.
“I didn’t really expect that to happen,” she said. “I was just skiing for fun and for myself and doing competitions because I liked it.”
Harwood is now a three-time X Games medalist, with two World Cup podiums and is making her Olympic debut in Milan.
But like many skiers, her career has been repeatedly threatened by ACL injuries. Harwood even took to social media before the Games to compare herself to Lindsey Vonn.
In September 2021, Harwood tore her ACL attempting a switch misty 900, delaying her Olympic dreams.
After nine months in rehab, her recovery was short-lived; she tore her other ACL in March 2025 and tore it again in December.
“I didn’t have time to get surgery because that’s a nine-month recovery, so I decided I was going to give it a go anyway,” she said. “This might be my last chance, I really want to give it my all.”
Though she can move and ski normally, incorrect landings can be extremely painful because of bone bruising and can worsen her knee swelling.
“I don’t have the ACL, so all my other ligaments need to be super strong,” she said. “My quad and hamstrings are doing all the work of what my ACL was doing.”
Harwood didn’t compete in slopestyle because of the threat of reinjury before big air this weekend, where she has a better chance of medaling.
“It’s hard because I didn’t get to train to the full extent that I wanted to,” she said. “It’s bittersweet going into this, being here at the Olympics, but maybe not getting the result I wish I had.”
She has also undertaken significant mental preparations by talking with sports psychologists to be in a healthy mindset for competition.
Harwood said it has also been helpful to have a support system with her teammates, many of whom have also torn their ACLs. Most of all, she’s glad to be here with her childhood friend, Marin Hamill, another U.S. freestyle skier.
“We’ve known each other probably 15 years and gone through every single step together. Being at the Olympics with her is amazing.”
Additionally, Harwood has been able to share her Olympic experience with her boyfriend, Konnor Ralph, who’s also a big air and slopestyle freeskier.
“It’s been really fun to be able to go and hug him when he’s done with his competition,” she said. “We both know exactly what we’re feeling, the nerves and everything, so to have each other has been amazing.”
Harwood said she’s more nervous watching Ralph ski than when she competes herself.
Beyond the competition, Harwood has been taking in every moment of being in the Olympic village and with Team USA.
“It’s almost like going to college orientation or summer camp because I’m with all my competitors and we’ve been traveling together for forever and competing against each other for years now,” she said.
To document her time at the Games, she’s been posting content on TikTok and Instagram, such as day-in-the-life videos and unboxing of Team USA gear.
“We’ve got so many different things from different sponsors like Nike, Ralph Lauren, Skims—I was so excited for the Skims stuff,” she said.
She wants to share as much as she can with her fans who are curious about what she and her team are doing at the Olympics.
“I feel like I haven’t processed it yet. I’m here in Italy, and this is all happening around me,” she said. “I haven’t done the competition yet, so I think maybe once I’ve actually competed, I’ll feel it a little more.”
Harwood said it’s “surreal” to finally live out her Olympic dream, and though she’s nervous, she also feels ready to take on the big air slopes for qualifiers on Saturday.
