December 31, 2025 • 10 mins
She made history at the 2022 Winter Olympics, bringing home a gold medal in the slopestyle and a silver in the big air.
But after an injury disrupted her 2024, she's once again dominated this year.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks. It be
follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
And let's talk to one of our greatest athletes, Zoe
Sadowski Sitate the snowboarder. She made history at the twenty
twenty two Winter Olympics. She won a gold medal in
the Soap style and a silver in the Big Air,
and after an injury disrupted twenty twenty four, she's once
again dominated this year, which puts her in good stead
for the twenty twenty six Olympics being held in Courtina,
(00:39):
just a little bit north of Venice and a little
bit east of Milan. They're going to be great. They're
only a few months away. So joining us to talk
all things snow and injuries and all sorts. Zoey Sadowski Sitnate,
Good morning to.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
You, Good morning. How are you.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
I'm very well. You're in Utah and you're getting ready
for Milan Courtina. And what a twenty twenty five you
have had World Cup Wednes x Kames gold. You first
you have a crystal globe. How good was that?
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Yeah? This past year has been really amazing. I had
pretty low expectations going into it because I had this
ankle injury that, yeah, it took a lot longer than expected.
But yeah, this season went so much better than expected.
It was wasn't it qualifying? And I did some new
(01:35):
tricks that I was really proud of. So yeah, I
couldn't be happier.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
For those who don't know how skiing works, well, how
your powder of skiing works. That Crystal Globe win, does
that mean essentially you are the world champion of twenty
twenty five.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Yeah, it works a little differently than that. It is
quite a hard spot to understand. I get lost trying
to understand the we details too. But the Crystal Globe
was like the overall ranking in slopped a throughout the season,
over the course of a couple competitions. I did do
(02:14):
World champs as well, and that was a separate comp
but yees, and how everything kind of went my way
and yeah, well boats, which was incredible.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, the World Championship, So that's just one. That's just
one event. You know, this is the year, entire season.
This counts for more. The correct answer is yes, I'm
world champ and that's great. You mentioned you mentioned the
injury and how it took longer to recover. This is
part of your job. Obviously, it's a difficult part of
your job. So how difficult was it?
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yeah, well, you know, this was my first injury that
happened over the course of the Norman Hamidsphere season that
took me out of kind of the main competitions like
X Games, And it happened in December, and initially it
(03:07):
didn't look as bad as they as I thought, and
my timeline was four to six weeks. But over the
course of that recovery and rehab process and trying to
get back in time for X Games, I realized how
(03:28):
much work I was going to need to put it
that at time frame was going to get stretched. And
you know, like your ankle, saving your snowboarding, throwing up
sixty foot jumps and heading veils, there is so much
body weight and forces that go through it, and that's
(03:50):
what connects you to your board. And yeah, I feel
fine walking around and doing normal stuff, but as soon
as I'd put it in a snowboard boot and strap
into my buyinings and start snowboarding, there were just so
many different forces that play that made snowbarting so painful,
and it really took altogether nine months for me to
(04:14):
feel strong and pain free and confident on my board again,
and so it took me out from competing for the season,
and then yeah, the whole rehab process, there was a
lot of ups and downs. It charged me mentally, but yeah,
(04:34):
I'm really grateful for that that.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Process and when and when that sort of thing happened,
and when that sort of thing happens and you have
to get back on the board and back up in
the air as well, it's a confidence game. It can
damnage your confidence as well. And were you afraid that
you'd actually come back from the injury and not be
able to do what you used to do.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Yeah, for sure. It's definitely voices in your head telling
you that when you're going through through the injury process,
and that's a really hard to deal with and really humbling.
But yeah, those though, that was definitely in my mind,
(05:17):
and I think for me, like never having gone through
an injury like that, that kept me out of like
my most important pomps. I was like, if I'm going
to do this rehab process, I want to do it right,
and I want to put everything into it and come
back stronger than when I left. So yeah, there was
(05:43):
like definitely a rollercoaster emotions and everything.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
But you did it, work from it.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
And then you yeah, you look ahead and and plan ahead.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
The Olympics in February. It's in Milan, Cortina. You could
stay in Venice and go up to Courtina and compete.
But I don't know where you are going to say,
but what are your thoughts about what's going to happen
in February.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
I'm so excited for the Olympics. It's going to be
a really awesome show. I'm really excited to watch all
my teammates someti New Zealand. We have a really strong
teams games, it's bigger and I'm really proud of my
(06:30):
my younger teammates were going into their first Olympics, just
watching them over the course of the last couple of
years process. So yeah, it's going to be great. The
opportunity to have our family families come and watch.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
So yeah, I hate to say it. You're you're you're
now one of the senior members of the team, but
it must be nice to have a new generation coming
up underneath you and after you and Nico Costed so
so very very well, it must also be nice having
other athletes like Alice Robinson doing so well as well,
just to share the load of the New Zealand expectation.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Yeah, for sure. It is so incredible how well across
the board the New Zealand winter team is doing. And
what makes it even more special is that, you know,
we're such a small country and winter sport is also
so small here, so we'll be quite quite knit, i
(07:33):
think compared to the countries, and so proud of watching
all my competitors, all my teammates overseas because we're all
friends and I think that's really awesome. But yeah, get
excited because yeah, there's a lot there's a lot of
(07:55):
depth in our team this this Olympics, and yeah, hopefully
we'll be something that, yeah, that'll be cool.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
I know you can't tell the details because then you'll
tell your competitors. But have you got a new trick
that you're going to unveil just for the Olympics.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Yeah, I think put me into these Olympics, like I
have the idea in my head, and I have the
goals and the tricks that I want to do. And
in our sport, it's kind of like everyone kind of
knows well everyone's going to do because we train in
similar places and all that, and you kind of like
(08:36):
want to be doing your trips in competition as much
as possible, like so that it becomes normal and less
scary because they are such dangerous tricks. So yeah, I
just may I want to do what I've set out
to do, and whatever happens happens. I'll just be grateful
(08:57):
that for the for the opportunity and the experience, and
just really want to show New Zealand and snow warning
to the world and do my best.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
So talking about that feeling the fear and doing it
anyway sort of a state of mind. When was the
first time that a young Zoe actually did a flip
off a jump, because that must have been a huge moment.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Yes, for sure, the first time I did a backflip
on aboard, I've landed on my head, So yeah, I
had to get back up from that one and try again,
and I'm so glad I did, because Yeah, it's so fine.
It's so special to be scared of something and then
(09:41):
be able to say, no, I'm not going to let
that feeling sit and I'm going to try my best
to I'm going to try to see what happens. And yeah,
that feeling that you get when you achieved something that
you're scared of.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Yeah, well look, look, I think you're a very brave
woman because it's part and parcel of I know that
Jossi Wells had of terrible injury. He's been off for
a year, and I remember him saying when he was
telling everybody, you know, this is the price I pay
for having such an amazing life when I'm actually fit
and healthy. So you're very brave, You're very talented, and
you're very good and you have to know that. We
all just wish you the best for February at Milan
(10:19):
Cortina the Olympic Games. Zoe Saidowski, thank you so much
for joining us today.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Hey, thank you so much too, And yeah, hope everyone
watches And which is our fluck?
Speaker 1 (10:31):
For more from News Talks B listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks. It be
follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
And let's talk to one of our greatest athletes, Zoe
Sadowski Sitate the snowboarder. She made history at the twenty
twenty two Winter Olympics. She won a gold medal in
the Soap style and a silver in the Big Air,
and after an injury disrupted twenty twenty four, she's once
again dominated this year, which puts her in good stead
for the twenty twenty six Olympics being held in Courtina,
(00:39):
just a little bit north of Venice and a little
bit east of Milan. They're going to be great. They're
only a few months away. So joining us to talk
all things snow and injuries and all sorts. Zoey Sadowski Sitnate,
Good morning to.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
You, Good morning. How are you.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
I'm very well. You're in Utah and you're getting ready
for Milan Courtina. And what a twenty twenty five you
have had World Cup Wednes x Kames gold. You first
you have a crystal globe. How good was that?
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Yeah? This past year has been really amazing. I had
pretty low expectations going into it because I had this
ankle injury that, yeah, it took a lot longer than expected.
But yeah, this season went so much better than expected.
It was wasn't it qualifying? And I did some new
(01:35):
tricks that I was really proud of. So yeah, I
couldn't be happier.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
For those who don't know how skiing works, well, how
your powder of skiing works. That Crystal Globe win, does
that mean essentially you are the world champion of twenty
twenty five.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Yeah, it works a little differently than that. It is
quite a hard spot to understand. I get lost trying
to understand the we details too. But the Crystal Globe
was like the overall ranking in slopped a throughout the season,
over the course of a couple competitions. I did do
(02:14):
World champs as well, and that was a separate comp
but yees, and how everything kind of went my way
and yeah, well boats, which was incredible.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, the World Championship, So that's just one. That's just
one event. You know, this is the year, entire season.
This counts for more. The correct answer is yes, I'm
world champ and that's great. You mentioned you mentioned the
injury and how it took longer to recover. This is
part of your job. Obviously, it's a difficult part of
your job. So how difficult was it?
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yeah, well, you know, this was my first injury that
happened over the course of the Norman Hamidsphere season that
took me out of kind of the main competitions like
X Games, And it happened in December, and initially it
(03:07):
didn't look as bad as they as I thought, and
my timeline was four to six weeks. But over the
course of that recovery and rehab process and trying to
get back in time for X Games, I realized how
(03:28):
much work I was going to need to put it
that at time frame was going to get stretched. And
you know, like your ankle, saving your snowboarding, throwing up
sixty foot jumps and heading veils, there is so much
body weight and forces that go through it, and that's
(03:50):
what connects you to your board. And yeah, I feel
fine walking around and doing normal stuff, but as soon
as I'd put it in a snowboard boot and strap
into my buyinings and start snowboarding, there were just so
many different forces that play that made snowbarting so painful,
and it really took altogether nine months for me to
(04:14):
feel strong and pain free and confident on my board again,
and so it took me out from competing for the season,
and then yeah, the whole rehab process, there was a
lot of ups and downs. It charged me mentally, but yeah,
(04:34):
I'm really grateful for that that.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Process and when and when that sort of thing happened,
and when that sort of thing happens and you have
to get back on the board and back up in
the air as well, it's a confidence game. It can
damnage your confidence as well. And were you afraid that
you'd actually come back from the injury and not be
able to do what you used to do.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Yeah, for sure. It's definitely voices in your head telling
you that when you're going through through the injury process,
and that's a really hard to deal with and really humbling.
But yeah, those though, that was definitely in my mind,
(05:17):
and I think for me, like never having gone through
an injury like that, that kept me out of like
my most important pomps. I was like, if I'm going
to do this rehab process, I want to do it right,
and I want to put everything into it and come
back stronger than when I left. So yeah, there was
(05:43):
like definitely a rollercoaster emotions and everything.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
But you did it, work from it.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
And then you yeah, you look ahead and and plan ahead.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
The Olympics in February. It's in Milan, Cortina. You could
stay in Venice and go up to Courtina and compete.
But I don't know where you are going to say,
but what are your thoughts about what's going to happen
in February.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
I'm so excited for the Olympics. It's going to be
a really awesome show. I'm really excited to watch all
my teammates someti New Zealand. We have a really strong
teams games, it's bigger and I'm really proud of my
(06:30):
my younger teammates were going into their first Olympics, just
watching them over the course of the last couple of
years process. So yeah, it's going to be great. The
opportunity to have our family families come and watch.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
So yeah, I hate to say it. You're you're you're
now one of the senior members of the team, but
it must be nice to have a new generation coming
up underneath you and after you and Nico Costed so
so very very well, it must also be nice having
other athletes like Alice Robinson doing so well as well,
just to share the load of the New Zealand expectation.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Yeah, for sure. It is so incredible how well across
the board the New Zealand winter team is doing. And
what makes it even more special is that, you know,
we're such a small country and winter sport is also
so small here, so we'll be quite quite knit, i
(07:33):
think compared to the countries, and so proud of watching
all my competitors, all my teammates overseas because we're all
friends and I think that's really awesome. But yeah, get
excited because yeah, there's a lot there's a lot of
(07:55):
depth in our team this this Olympics, and yeah, hopefully
we'll be something that, yeah, that'll be cool.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
I know you can't tell the details because then you'll
tell your competitors. But have you got a new trick
that you're going to unveil just for the Olympics.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Yeah, I think put me into these Olympics, like I
have the idea in my head, and I have the
goals and the tricks that I want to do. And
in our sport, it's kind of like everyone kind of
knows well everyone's going to do because we train in
similar places and all that, and you kind of like
(08:36):
want to be doing your trips in competition as much
as possible, like so that it becomes normal and less
scary because they are such dangerous tricks. So yeah, I
just may I want to do what I've set out
to do, and whatever happens happens. I'll just be grateful
(08:57):
that for the for the opportunity and the experience, and
just really want to show New Zealand and snow warning
to the world and do my best.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
So talking about that feeling the fear and doing it
anyway sort of a state of mind. When was the
first time that a young Zoe actually did a flip
off a jump, because that must have been a huge moment.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Yes, for sure, the first time I did a backflip
on aboard, I've landed on my head, So yeah, I
had to get back up from that one and try again,
and I'm so glad I did, because Yeah, it's so fine.
It's so special to be scared of something and then
(09:41):
be able to say, no, I'm not going to let
that feeling sit and I'm going to try my best
to I'm going to try to see what happens. And yeah,
that feeling that you get when you achieved something that
you're scared of.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Yeah, well look, look, I think you're a very brave
woman because it's part and parcel of I know that
Jossi Wells had of terrible injury. He's been off for
a year, and I remember him saying when he was
telling everybody, you know, this is the price I pay
for having such an amazing life when I'm actually fit
and healthy. So you're very brave, You're very talented, and
you're very good and you have to know that. We
all just wish you the best for February at Milan
(10:19):
Cortina the Olympic Games. Zoe Saidowski, thank you so much
for joining us today.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Hey, thank you so much too, And yeah, hope everyone
watches And which is our fluck?
Speaker 1 (10:31):
For more from News Talks B listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcast on iHeartRadio.
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